Forgotten
by drgemini86
Summary: Tag for Memento Mori, Sam is upset that Daniel went on a date with Vala. And a different chain of events occurs during Unending. Missing scenes and tags for Unending. DanielVala – not for DanielVala fans, SamDaniel, CamVala, Teal'cIsh'ta
1. Chapter 1

**Forgotten, by DrGemini86 (DrGemini24)**

_**Summary: **__Sam is upset that Daniel went on a date with Vala. And a different set of events occurs during Unending. Tags for Memento Mori, and missing scenes and tags for Unending. DanielVala – not for DanielVala fans, SamDaniel, CamVala, Teal'cIsh'ta_

_**Pairings: **__DanielVala – not for DanielVala fans; SamDaniel_

_**Rating: **__T_

_**Category: **__New Romance_

_**Genres: **__Angst, A/U, Episode-related, Relationship-focussed, Romance-focussed, Thoughts_

_**Spoilers:**__ seasons 1-10_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Cam and Teal'c, in civilian clothes, stood outside Sam's lab, the door unusually closed as they heard slamming and loud thudding noises coming from within. The Colonel and the Jaffa exchanged troubled glances, the former whispering,

"Any idea?"

Teal'c whispered back, "Perhaps it is part of the violent urges that surface in women during a certain part of each lunar cycle."

Cam, now embarrassed, said, looking down as he scratched the back of his neck nervously, "Uh… no. No. C'mon. It's Sam."

Teal'c, an eyebrow shooting up, asked with the faintest of smirks, "Is ColonelCarter not female?"

Cam stammered and was eventually about to reply when the door opened and a weary looking Sam, in civilian clothes too, stormed out, passing her team-mates without a word. Teal'c, worried, raised an eyebrow at Cam, who nodded and ran after his co-in-command, calling,

"Sam!"

He slowed down when she stopped, and she turned to face him with that same tired smile that she had used for the best part of a year and which only now made him realise that she was using it as a cover for her true emotions.

How had he not spotted it before now? Had he been so willing to overlook anything that could suggest his band was beginning to fall apart in the slightest?

That would have been unprofessional.

He suddenly felt guilty.

He asked in concern as they began to walk together down the corridor, "What's up?"

She replied with a shrug, "Nothing. You?"

"Nothing much. Still getting used to SG-1 being a five-man team now."

Something in her face shifted for the briefest moments, and she said in a pained voice that he had also heard on more than one occasion but never really questioned her reasons for using it, "Yes… it has been a long day."

"You going home?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm zonked."

"Well, so would I be if I was throwing stuff round my office for the past hour."

She ducked her head and he continued, stooping to look at her face, "Sam. I need you to tell me if there's something wrong… something that I should know about."

She shook her head and replied a little too quickly as they neared the lifts, "It's nothing… I'm fine."

"Right…"

She entered the lift and said, looking increasingly tired, "'night Cam."

Deciding not to stop the doors from closing, he quickly got in with her instead and she asked, confused, "Cam?"

He replied with a slight shake of his head as the doors closed, the lift ascending to the surface, "I'm driving you home. Don't make me make it an order, Sam."

She then smiled genuinely for the first time in a long while, retorting, her arms folded across her chest, "Screw you, Cam. We're the same rank."

"Insubordination to someone who's your CO on paper will look good after ten years of behaving yourself. Gives you a cool edge and gets you even cooler commands like an Atlantis off-world team."

She smiled teasingly. "SG-1 not good enough for you anymore?"

He glared at her, and then replied with a shrug, "I wouldn't mind going to Atlantis one day to have my own off-world team… you know, after we whup the Ori."

The lift stopped, the doors opening and, as they walked out, she asked, now serious as she thought of their ongoing fight against a species waging a crusade on everyone who refused to be indoctrinated, "You think we'll beat them?"

"Come on, _Samantha_, you said yourself that when you and the Scooby gang started out, the Goa'uld were the big cheeses on the block… now look where they are. We'll whup _these_ guys' asses – they really don't know who they're messing with."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sam, in the passenger seat of Cam's car, said in bemusement as Cam began to drive to her house, "I don't know why you won't use my car."

"Are you kidding me? The last time I drove it, you got a speeding ticket. I still think your gas pedal's loose."

She smiled tiredly, leaning her head against the seat rest as she remarked, watching him focus on the road, "You don't know how to handle it."

He chuckled, not taking the bait for a slanging match, and she rolled her head slowly to look into the darkness beyond the side window. He asked suddenly,

"What was all that at the mountain?"

She looked back at him, asking, "What was all what?"

He said, looking concerned at not only her emotional state but her unwillingness to talk to him, "Come on, I know I haven't known you as long as T and Jackson have, but I'm tellin' you, I've never seen you so angry. You were really something… you worried T, and I swear the guy's omniscient… most of the time at least. What's up?"

She groaned, not wanting to make trouble for the team as a whole or in part. "It's nothing. Nothing. Just leave it, Cam. Please."

Surprised, he remarked, "Well, that was certainly more than you said before." He glanced at her in concern. "I need to know… as your friend and as your official CO. I worked hard to get the band together again. I didn't want a group of people who happened to be designated 'SG-1'. I wanted the real deal… I still do. It's not just today… I've noticed for a while now that you look tired and troubled most of the time. This is obviously something that's ongoing and if it's ongoing, I have to know about it if it's gonna mess with the team."

She gazed at him for a long moment and then said softly, her eyes showing her inner pain briefly, "Cam, I'll tell you, I promise… just not tonight. I need to sort my head out first."

He huffed. "A'right, but you're gonna tell me… even if I have to rope T in. I've never seen you this messed up before…" Something suddenly clicked and he asked, looking incredulous,

"Oh… you're not jealous of Vala, are you?"

She exclaimed, "What?!"

"Because you were the only girl in the band before and now… you're not."

She lowered her head, looking down at her lap as she replied softly, shaking her head, "It's not that."

He looked increasingly worried. "It's Vala though, isn't it? Come on, I heard the backing singer jibe."

Looking sad, she said defensively, "She shackled herself to Daniel and tried to exploit him. What was I supposed to say?"

As he pulled up outside her house, he cocked his head and remarked as she looked out of the window in thought, "Ok… so you're jealous of…" something else clicked. "Oh! I got it!" his voice rose as she continued to look out of the window, "_You're_ jealous 'cos she went on a date with Jackson!"

Without a word, she left the car, walking quickly to her front door, her back ramrod straight. He raised his eyebrows in surprise and then consternation, deciding not to go after her lest she unleash her combat skills on him. Instead, he made sure she got into her house safely before driving away, remarking to himself,

"Boy, oh boy, is this a mess…"


	2. Chapter 2

Sam groaned as she sank into a steaming bathtub, fully immersing herself before raising her head above the water

Sam groaned as she sank into a steaming bathtub, fully immersing herself before raising her head above the water. It was only then that she allowed herself to cry. She stared up at the ceiling, tears silently coming down her cheeks as she thought of what had happened over the past week.

Vala had been kidnapped by an old rival of the Goa'uld that she had been host to in the quest for some treasure. The abduction had happened one evening while she was on a date with Daniel.

She closed her eyes and sniffed back more tears as she thought of how utterly bereft he had looked at the former host's abduction. Of course she had been worried too for their friend's welfare, but she had to wonder whether he had ever been that upset and lost whenever she had been abducted.

Sometimes she wondered what had happened to them… to their relationship. They had been so close over the years but then it seemed to have fallen apart when they parted ways to do their own things after the Goa'uld and Replicators had been defeated.

How could such a strong friendship, a strong bond, go that quickly? Something that had lasted for years had appeared to crumble within a fraction of that time.

What had happened?

When before they would regularly visit each other's workspaces and homes with offers of coffee and a listening ear, they now appeared to ignore each other… and when she had tried to reach out to him, he was always tired or occupied.

How then, did he always seem to have time for Vala?

So anyway, Vala had been kidnapped and by some kind of accident while SG-1 had searched for the former host, she had lost her memories and ended up eventually being arrested. After that, the Trust kidnapped her by deception and…

Sam couldn't help but smile as she thought of her, Daniel and Teal'c storming into a motel room to find Cam stark naked and handcuffed to a bed. The scene had provided a lot of ammo to be used against the Colonel in the future.

Her smile faded as she remembered them finding Vala in a warehouse, and, after a fire fight with Trust operatives, she had begun to remember who she was and Daniel had hugged her.

Earlier today at the mountain, when all had calmed down, Vala had finally been made a member of SG-1 and proceeded to tease Daniel about their date, the Archaeologist repeatedly claiming that it hadn't been.

Right.

She sighed softly, scrubbing her face with her hands as she thought again of how sad and tired he had looked, leaning in the doorway of her lab after they had learnt of Vala's abduction. Suddenly feeling the need to get out of the house, she got out of the bath, drying herself off as she drained the tub. She threw some clothes on and went downstairs, grabbing her keys on the way out.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Grabbing her bike, she angrily rammed on her helmet and sped out of her neighbourhood as the memories repeated in a loop of Vala teasing Daniel about the date and Daniel repeatedly saying that it wasn't a date. That had led to her storming out, albeit in a controlled manner, before taking her anger out on her poor lab.

She knew that she had to work it out of her system, because she had to work, after a fashion, with Daniel as well as Vala… and if they had found some happiness, who was she to stand in their way?

What saddened her was that Daniel, despite apparently knowing herself so well – at least it had been that way in the past – didn't know how she felt about him, how she had always felt about him. She just never told him… and now completely regretted it.

How had Vala taken his affections? Vala had abducted him and the Prometheus to sell it for refined Naquadah.

Should she have done that to win his love?

She shut her eyes briefly as she took a bend to stem the oncoming flow of tears as pieces began to come together in her mind.

Suddenly she and the bike parted ways, the bike shooting off from under her as she fell to the side, a searing pain slowly engulfing her body as she scraped across the tarmac of the road surface, the Colonel eventually coming to a painful stop.


	3. Chapter 3

Cam rushed into the Infirmary, minutes after receiving a call from Carolyn, to find a badly scarred Sam lying comatose on a bed, tubes coming in and out of her. He asked, now even more upset on seeing his friend as opposed to relying on second or third-hand accounts,

"What happened?"

A concerned Carolyn replied as a couple of nurses went about their duties, "A state trooper found Sam unconscious on a road a couple of minutes from her house. Her bike was found a few yards away, very badly damaged. She's lucky, I'll have to admit… no broken bones, but some internal haemorrhaging. She's got extensive scarring from where she scraped against the tarmac in the accident. We're still to perform a CT scan so we'll know for sure whether her brain's been affected."

An absolutely bereft Cam ran his fingers through his cropped hair and asked, "Has she woken up at any point?"

"She was conscious when she was brought in from the checkpoint, but she soon fell unconscious. It could just be shock from the crash."

He exhaled, and then asked, glancing every so often at his ailing friend, "Was it a crash or…?"

"It appears that she fell off somehow. We're still not clear as to how that happened."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sam's eyes opened and she felt an overwhelming surge of pain in amongst some fogginess, and she groaned. Sudden movement to her side made her look in that direction to see Cam and Teal'c, and she smiled slowly but painfully, asking hoarsely,

"What happened?"

Cam replied angrily as Carolyn approached, "You crashed your bike, silly girl. What the hell were you doing out so late?"

Sam closed her eyes as she thought of Daniel, and she sniffed back oncoming tears, due in part to her physical pain, replying, "I just went for a ride."

"Some ride."

Carolyn said softly, looking concerned, "Sam… you're lucky… you are one very lucky woman. You have no long-term internal damage… your brain's checked out fine, but you have a lot of wounding from skidding against the road surface. Could you tell me what happened?"

Sam closed her eyes again and replied quietly, her throat feeling rough, "I was riding… I…" She looked at Cam briefly, "I was upset about something and… I lost control of the bike. God, I'm so sorry… I'm sorry. I should have been more careful…"

Carolyn shushed her and said soothingly as Sam felt a small prickling sensation in her arm before all became dark, "Just rest for now, Sam."


	4. Chapter 4

Daniel was roused from a relatively deep sleep by a loud knocking… which to be honest sounded more as though someone was attempting to hammer his door down. He glanced at the clock and got up, muttering obscenities at being woken just as he had managed to get to sleep, having had trouble earlier for no distinct reason. Bleary-eyed, he went to answer the door and then stood for a moment in confusion as his mind took in the sight of a fuming Cam.

Cam remarked, looking pretty annoyed, "Do you even have a phone line or is that phone for show?"

Eventually remembering things… chiefly where he worked, Daniel replied, looking tired, "My insomnia's flared up again… so I unplugged my phone and switched my cell off. Sorry. What's up?"

Cam replied, his jaw still tight, "Sam's in the Infirmary."

This had the effect of waking the Archaeologist up completely, and he ran back upstairs to get changed as the Colonel sighed, standing in the hallway with his hands in his pockets, wondering what would happen to his band now.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Having not got any information, surprisingly, from the world's chattiest and friendliest team lead on the way to the mountain, Daniel ran into the Infirmary, asking Carolyn in concern on seeing Sam unconscious in a bed with Vala and Teal'c at her bedside, shortly joined by Cam,

"What happened?"

Carolyn quickly related what had happened and the Astrophysicist's injuries, and Daniel, worried even further at the nature of the accident, said softly as he stood at the foot of Sam's bed, gazing at his best friend and team-mate, "She's the safest rider I know…"

Teal'c, noticing how upset Daniel looked as he asked the doctor whether Sam would be alright, pulled out a chair for the Archaeologist, silently instructing him to sit down. Daniel did so, not noticing the others discreetly leaving for the observation room as he held her hand, gazing down at her still form.

His eyes moved to the scars that he could see, and for some inexplicable reason, he felt guilty… the same guilt that had caused his earlier insomnia now resurfaced. He didn't know the reason then, and neither did he now, although he somehow surmised that it was because of her. He then began to think of their becoming distant over the past couple of years, how he himself had suffered as a result personally. Truth be told, she had made him a better person, and he had never realised that until she wasn't in his life anymore when she had gone to Nevada.

In an uncharacteristic move, he kissed the hand he held as years of pain and distance melted, and his only wish was that she would be alright and that he could have a second chance at repairing their friendship. She deserved more than the short shrift he had given her; a lot more.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sam's eyes flickered open several hours later, her sedative wearing off as General Landry joined her team-mates in the observation room to be briefed on her condition, and she looked to her right on feeling someone holding her hand. To her surprise, she saw Daniel, and she smiled, noticing his unshaven chin. She remarked hoarsely as Carolyn came over to check on her,

"How long have you been here?"

He said softly, kissing the hand that he held, "It doesn't matter."

"At least eat something? It looks as though you haven't slept in ages."

"That doesn't matter either."

He whispered, leaning closer, "You matter the most."

Gazing at her for a moment as her eyes brimmed with tears, he got up and left the Infirmary as Carolyn asked Sam, "Sam?"

Sam whispered, wiping her eyes quickly, "I'm fine."


	5. Chapter 5

Cam slipped out of the observation room with the intention of heading the Archaeologist off so he could talk to him in relative privacy. He found Daniel tiredly making his way from the Infirmary, his glasses off as he rubbed his eyes. Cam suddenly felt sorry for almost breaking his team-mate's door down in his haste to notify him of their friend's accident despite his thoughts on the matter. The Colonel stopped him, saying when they stood to one side of the corridor so as to be out of the way,

"Hey."

Daniel nodded, putting his glasses on, and Cam felt even sorrier as he said, "Look, man, sorry about..."

Daniel cut him off with a dismissive gesture, saying with a barely suppressed yawn, "No, it's fine. I would have been mad if you didn't tell me." He closed his eyes briefly as they walked down the corridor, in no particular direction. "I don't like seeing her like that... I never have. She's such a careful rider."

Cam glanced at his friend in worry on noticing him looking gradually more agitated. "Jackson?"

Daniel shook his head, and Cam continued, "You know... I may not have known you as long as T and Sam have, but I want to know when something's troublin' you. You're a hider when it comes to yourself."

Daniel looked ever so slightly bemused in amongst the angst visible on his face. "_Hider_?"

Cam glared at him as he remarked, "Yeah... someone who hides things, Doctor Philologist." He sighed. "We all hide things but you... you're like the... Emperor of the Hidden Kingdom. O'Neill said a whole bunch of things about your hiding habit."

Daniel retorted tiredly, "Discount seventy-five point seven percent of what he says."

Cam looked amazed. "Did you work that out or is that a guestimate?"

Daniel smiled slightly as he remembered happier times with Sam. "Sam worked it out a long time ago."

Cam asked as they turned a corner, nodding in greeting at a couple of Airmen, "What's the deal with you and Sam?"

Daniel sighed but didn't say anything and Cam continued with a shrug, hands in his pocket, "When I was part of the F-302 programme, I used to hear stories about how great SG-1 was, how you guys work together, and the number of times you've saved our multicoloured asses. I heard rumours about you and Sam..." he looked embarrassed for a moment, "which were... you know... and I did kind of believe them, sort of, when you guys would drop by the hospital to see me."

The Colonel cocked his head briefly, "But I'm not seeing anything... There was something kinda there when I started but then it just went downhill over this past year. You and Sam especially do not have the hallmarks of people who have been working together for the best part of a decade. You're damn fine at what you do so I don't say anything... who wants a newbie Colonel on their asses, cramping their style? I've tried to just go with the flow but..." They went into Daniel's office, the Colonel closing the door, "I can't ignore it anymore... not when it's hurting one of my team."

Cam had expected a fight... maybe a huge slanging match that the Archaeologist was rumoured to have had with General O'Neill, but all he got, much to his own surprise, was Daniel nodding in acceptance, replying softly, "I know... I'm hurt too."

Not wanting to lose a rare chance to gain a glimpse of Daniel's inner feelings, Cam asked quietly by way of a prompt as he leaned his back against the door, watching his team-mate, "What happened?"

Daniel, sitting on the edge of his desk now, replied, his eyes on the floor, "I don't know... I ignored her. I kept her out of my life... and I shouldn't have. I miss her." Daniel closed his eyes. "I miss her a lot. I don't know how it happened... it just did. We just... fell apart. It was my fault."

"Are you going to talk to her... sort it out?"

Daniel nodded silently and Cam said softly as he opened the door, realising the Archaeologist needed to be alone with his thoughts, "Go get showered and everything... I'll meet you in the Commissary."


	6. Chapter 6

"Where's Daniel?"

A bemused Carolyn remarked as she applied a fresh bandage to Sam's hip in a curtained-off area of the Infirmary, "That has got to be the fifth time you've asked that." She smiled. "He'll be here soon. I believe Cam's working on him to eat something and take a rest. And you... _Colonel_, are going to follow doctor's orders for once and go home. You need the rest. Is Cam taking you home?"

Sam looked ready to protest as she pulled her trousers up and Carolyn raised an eyebrow, saying firmly, "No."

Sam laughed, a little nervous and asked, "What?"

"I know you... you are not driving in this condition. Please... I mean it... get someone to drive you home. You're not fit to do it yourself."

Sam nodded, looking serious as the doctor pulled the curtain from around the bed, and the two women looked up, noticing Daniel waiting, the Archaeologist saying, now looking a little brighter, "It's ok... I'll drive."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

For the second time that day, Daniel experienced a quiet car journey, but didn't mind, knowing that things would be a little awkward at first due to their distance of late.

He helped her inside her house and suggested that she go to sleep, but one look into those big blue-grey eyes and the mention of needing company, and some takeout had entered the equation too. He gazed at her in concern as he sat opposite her at her kitchen table, the Astrophysicist not feeling up to watching the TV. She looked up, and on noticing the concern, said with a little smile,

"I'm fine, Daniel."

He used his fork to toy with noodles as he asked, "Are you? Are you really? You haven't had a biking accident since you were thirty."

She murmured as she looked down at her plate, "I didn't think you'd remember."

Catching her words, and admittedly feeling guilty, he replied with a frown, "Why wouldn't I?"

She shook her head, and he said after a moment's hesitation, getting up, "Ok... I've got something to tell you... something I have to tell you now."

She looked up, scared as he kneeled at her side, and he held her hand. He said, looking up at her and for the first time in a long while looking earnest, "I'm sorry."

Surprised, she asked, looking down at him, "Why? What for?"

He grimaced a little. "For pushing you out of my life. I didn't want to... and I've hated what I've become these past couple of years. I've hated it. I want to be your friend again."

She bit her lip, feeling even more fragile than she already had, and sniffed. Despite this, a tear rolled down her cheek, followed by more on both cheeks, and she closed her eyes, lowering her head. Getting to his knees, he hugged her, whispering,

"I'm sorry. I couldn't... I didn't... I didn't know how much I was hurting you. I'm so sorry. I really am."

She replied, closing her eyes again in his embrace, her chin on his shoulder as she held onto him, "I've missed you, Daniel... you were always there and then you wasn't. I thought I was being selfish by wanting you to be there again. I've even been jealous of the close friendship you have with Vala." He opened his mouth to speak but she shook her head, wanting to finish what she had wanted to say, "No. Let me finish. Being the Infirmary made me realise a few things... mainly that I should be happy for you... and I am. How long has it been since you've felt ready enough to give anyone your heart? I should stop being..."

Bemused and downright shocked, he shook his head, holding her shoulders as he said, interrupting her, "No, Sam... there isn't anything between me and Vala. What gave you that..." noticing her sceptical expression, he continued, a little shamefaced, "That honestly was a dinner between two friends and co-workers. Vala calls it a date because she likes to joke around." He blushed. "You were jealous of Vala?"

She nodded, embarrassed too, and replied quietly, intending to forget the conversation ever took place, that part in particular, "It doesn't matter."

In the second uncharacteristic move that day, he touched her jaw and when she looked at him, he asked, looking bashful as he shrugged slowly, "Would you rather that I went on a date with you?"

She laughed softly, recognising the Daniel that she once knew, and she remarked, hugging him and deliberately avoiding answering the question, "I knew you were in there somewhere! I remember when you used to laugh and smile and..."

He looked bemused. "You didn't answer the question."

She looked down at her hands and then said, glancing at him, "I just want my best friend back." She bit her lip. "I'm happy for you... I really am."

"There really is nothing, Sam. Honestly. It was just dinner as a means of thanks for my trust in her paying off."

She smiled. "She really has done well, hasn't she?"

He looked down for a moment. "Yep." He looked up at her again and asked, "So...?"

She kissed him gently on the lips before she knew what she was doing, and then said in reply as she watched him look dazed, "Yes. I'd like that very much."


	7. Chapter 7

A stunned Daniel quickly stood up, reeling from the kiss. As Sam looked up at him from her chair, scared, he, looking unsteady, said, sounding spooked as he stared at her and then at nothing in particular, "You… kissed me." He closed his eyes, covering his face with his hands. "You kissed me."

Now embarrassed as he made his way to the doorway of the kitchen, she, hot tears beginning to sting in her eyes, hung her head and said, "Sorry. I…"

He looked at her and asked, "Do you know what this means?"

She, hurt, looked at him as he made his way back to her, kneeling again in front of her. She watched, surprised, as he took her hand again and he remarked with a smile, "It means I have to kiss you back."

She made to apologise, thinking that he was just being polite, when he gently kissed her, taking her breath away with such a beautiful, tender gesture. She gasped in shock when they parted, seeing what she dared hope was love in his eyes, and he affectionately touched her cheek, murmuring as he gazed at her lovingly,

"How's Saturday for you?"

Dazed, she murmured back, gazing at him in wonder as well as shock as she touched his jaw, "It's good… it's… yeah."

They gazed at each other for a moment, a glint of mischief in each other's eyes, and they smiled before kissing again, now feeling totally happy.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sam, having changed into her pyjamas, sat on the edge of her bed and remarked as a still dressed Daniel leaned in the doorway, "You know… you don't have to stay. I'm fine."

He gazed at her with worry, replying, "You're not… you're still injured. You might need something during the night and you'll have to wait too long for me to come over from Cimarron Hills."

Realising that he wasn't going anywhere without a fight, and that still wouldn't guarantee that he would leave her, she smiled, patting the surface of the bed next to her in an invitation for him to sit. He looked uncertain for a moment, hesitating, and she rolled her eyes, remarking in amusement,

"Daniel… I wouldn't ask you if I didn't trust you."

He grimaced, remarking in reply, "But I don't trust me, Sam… I am a man after all despite the involuntary celibacy we discussed earlier."

"Well… I'll just come over there… which means getting up, and you've treated me all day as though I've broken a leg."

Now embarrassed, he grudgingly entered the room, sitting where she had indicated, and she rested her head on his shoulder. Smiling slightly as he gazed down at her, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she said softly,

"I'm sorry about earlier… you know… um, before the kissing. I just seemed so… jealous… and ok, I am and…"

He kissed her temple and remarked, "Well… I am glad that you were jealous… or appeared to be jealous, because…" he suddenly grinned, "… you actually love me. I honestly never thought you would. I mean, Jack always said that I would marry some weird alien, in his words, and have a million paternity suits all over the Milky Way."

She chuckled in amusement at their former CO's unique sense of humour, and she said, "I miss him. He was always on hand for support and comic relief. I guess we never truly appreciated that until he left… Cam's not the type to go antagonising our enemies… although the omelette recipe was priceless. The General was banging his head against a wall about that for ages afterwards." She chuckled again.

Smiling as rested his head against hers, he replied, "I miss him too… despite me having a heart attack every time he rubbed someone up the wrong way, I did miss it when he got promoted. Sometimes I can hear his voice on missions. He would have found someway to stop me from going to Atlantis by myself, and then he would have insisted on coming along and then gluing me to the bridge instead of letting me stay in the City."

She gazed up at him, her smile gone. "That's because the last time we left you with some natives like that, we ended up losing you."

Noticing her eyes looking moist, he kissed her, the kiss progressing as she climbed onto his lap, his arms coming around her. They parted, and he caressed her cheek, noticing tears running down her face, and he whispered, feeling sad,

"I'm here now, Sam."

She closed her eyes as she hugged him, murmuring, "And I hope you never leave."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Later that night, after he had insisted on staying in the guestroom, she sat up in bed, thinking over what had happened as she found herself unable to sleep. Knowing that she needed to sleep unless she wanted a certain dark-haired doctor with a vendetta on her back, which she didn't, she got up and hesitated as she reached the doorway out to the landing.

Steeling herself, she gently pushed the door of the guestroom open, whispering, "Daniel?"

She raised her eyebrows briefly in surprise when he answered, "Sam? What's wrong? Why are you up?"

She saw him sit up in the dark and she replied as she entered the room fully, "Sorry… couldn't sleep. Did I wake you?"

"Nope… couldn't sleep either."

"Wanna talk?"

She watched him sit back down on the bed, offering her a seat, and she sat down. She then lay down behind him as he did a double-take, asking, "Sam? What are you doing?"

She rolled her eyes and said, amused for about the second time that night, "Daniel… don't be silly. Come on."

He exhaled. "Alright."

He lay down next to her, and she draped an arm over his waist, asking, her other arm folded under her head as he gazed at her in the darkness, "Where are we going on Saturday?"

His arm crossing hers, his hand eventually coming to rest on her hip, he replied, "I honestly don't know… it's pretty warm out. I guess we could have a picnic."

She smiled. "A picnic date?"

"Uh… why not?"

"No, it's good… I'm just getting used to the romantic side of you. What else?" She gently rubbed his hip.

He cleared his throat in embarrassment and replied, "I… I don't know." After a pause, he asked, grimacing as he hoped he wouldn't be killed, "Do you want to know what Vala's definition of a date is?"

She remarked, unable to stop smiling, "I'm probably going to regret it but… go ahead."

He, his face heating up, replied, highly embarrassed, "… ' a romantic event typified by dinner, movie and/or karaoke and, usually, culminating in a night of…'" he cleared his throat as she laughed, embarrassed too. "… so I told her that that dinner was definitely not a date. I think she just enjoyed embarrassing me."

"I'm with her there." She asked after a pause, "So… do you agree with that definition then?"

"Um… do you?"

She exclaimed in disbelief, "No fair! I asked first!"

"Ah… you got me there."

When he didn't say anything for a while, she asked again, "So…?"

He remarked right before they kissed, "I'm not much of a singer."

"Neither am I… do you want to go to a movie instead?" She began to giggle uncontrollably.

He asked, bemused, "What?"

Breathless, she replied with a grin, "Nothing."

She rested her head against his chest, still giggling, and he raised an eyebrow, remarking, "Nothing?"

She sniffed, managing to stop most of the giggles. "Sorry… I just had a little immature moment then." She felt his face instantly heat up and she smiled. "Really immature."

"Um… I'm not sure I can lie in the same bed as you now… well, uh…" he blushed again, "… not this close."

Clearing her throat, she said, a little awkward, "Ah… right. Sorry." She suddenly giggled again. "Oh God… sorry! I just keep giggling." He began to chuckle too, kissing her hair as he held her close, and he caressed her back as she smiled slowly against his chest. She whispered, her voice growing drowsy,

"I wouldn't mind at all."


	8. Chapter 8

Sam woke up alone in the guestroom, bathed in morning sunlight. Noticing that Daniel's clothes had gone, she looked confused, thinking that he would have said something before going home. Stretching, she got out of bed and went downstairs to find him coming in through the front door with a little smile on his face and then a shocked look when he noticed her. She raised her eyebrows at him and remarked,

"You blew up my car trying to decipher the tyre tread?"

He rolled his eyes. "I deciphered it yesterday. It said, and I quote, 'if you see this car at anytime driven by a blonde woman, don't stop it, even if you're a heavily armed Goa'uld, 'cos she'll kick your ass from here to Sateda'. There's a bit of linguistic contention with regard to whether it's just blonde, or crazy blonde."

He winced when she punched him in the arm, and then said with a sweet smile, "How're you feeling?"

He replied with a shrug, "Good... you? Do you need to change your bandages?"

"I'm fine. I'll do it when I get dressed." They smiled at each other and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her as he, with equal tenderness, pressed her against the hallway wall as her body woke up much quicker than it usually would have at that time of the morning. She smiled as she returned the kiss, her hand lowering to his backside to pull him closer.

Breathless, they came up for air and gazed at each other, their faces glowing, and she glanced down and said softly, a little embarrassed, "I'll... I'll get showered and dressed..."

Thinking that he had moved too fast, he nodded, feeling guilty, and she, sensing this, kissed him again, this time quicker, and she said with a reassuring smile, "It was great... don't worry."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

After breakfast, Daniel said as he held her hands across the kitchen table, "Ok... seeing as we're off anyway... how would you like a surprise?"

She frowned slightly. "What type of surprise?"

"A good one... I hope."

He took her by the hand, leading her out of the house as she remarked, "Aren't you going to tell me where we're going?"

"How would it be a surprise then?"

She locked her front door. "You know... Philogists get away with too much these days."

"Why, thank you."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sam gasped in surprise as they turned the umpteenth mountain road and a great vista expanded beneath them. She gazed around herself, smiling at the scene as Daniel smiled to himself, happy that she was happy as well as because of their sunny environs. He pulled up at a spot overlooking most of the city below, and gazed across at her. She looked back at him and kissed him, saying with a grin,

"Oh, this is so great, Daniel! We've never had time to just see the state like this."

He smiled. "I haven't opened the trunk yet."

They got out and he, refusing her offers to help, pulled a picnic hamper from the boot of his car as she stood, amazed at the sight. He smiled as he put it down, opening it and, grudgingly with her help, spread the contents out on a chequered cloth. She exclaimed in surprise,

"This hamper's like the TARDIS! Just how much food did you put in here?"

"Enough."

"For whom? SG-1 to 20?"

"For an Astrophysicist."

Instead of punching him, she kissed him, retorting, "You just did it to decipher the contours and cracks."

He returned her kiss. "You saw right through me."

She grinned. "I love this... this is just so great." She raised her eyebrows briefly on seeing a bottle of wine, and she put it back into the hamper, saying when he looked at her in surprise, "You don't drink usually... I'm not having any if you're not." They kissed once again.

"That's ok... I don't mind."

"No... it's your date too."

He smiled and then said, "Come on, let's eat."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

After a day of eating, laughing, kissing, and admittedly some heavy petting, Sam snuggled in Daniel's arms as they watched the sun go down, and she stretched up to kiss him, whispering as she rested her head against his chest, his fingers slowly running up and down the back of her head and her neck, "This has got to be the best date I've ever been on." She kissed him again. "Thank you, Daniel."

He returned her kisses, replying with a little smile, "You are so very welcome. It's been great hanging out with you... almost like old times."

She smiled. "If only we'd done this then, eh?"

"You have no idea how cool that would have been."

"I think I do." She straddled his lap and asked, caressing a side of his face as he gazed at her lovingly, "Do you want to get drunk with me at mine or at yours?"

"Let's go to mine... are you sure you want to get drunk with me... I've heard nothing but bad about my behaviour in a state of inebriation."

"Oh... that was just the General being silly. It just relaxes you and encourages you to be yourself rather than just being tightly wound up like you tend to be. So... what do you say?"

He smiled. "Ok. Let's roll..." They helped each other up. "I'm going to apologise in advance for anything I say or do though... I'm sorry." She smiled as she kissed him, replying,

"Believe me, that won't be necessary."


	9. Chapter 9

"Puh-lease… you and Jack? I don't know what everyone was thinking… it wouldn't have worked. You would have had a gunslinger stand-off within a week just to break the tension."

Sam frowned slightly as she lay in Daniel's arms on his bed, smiling in amusement nonetheless at his unusually forthright nature when in a state of inebriation. She remarked, feeling a little tipsy herself from the wine that they had, although nowhere near as much as he was,

"Well… I saw that when I put it behind me. I guess I always knew that it would never have worked. We're too different… and he's got serious problems of his own to deal with… like Sara."

He hummed against her shoulder, looking perturbed. "So… if he didn't have those issues, you'd be bonking him?"

She couldn't help but laugh as she turned in his embrace, resting her head against his chest. "No! Daniel… where do you get your ideas from? Nothing happened because he knows and I know that we're wrong for each other… and then there's the whole matter of who was between us for all those years."

He looked confused. "Pete?"

She shook her head and smiled. "Try again."

He closed his eyes, reeling off a list of names, "Jonas… Martouf… Narim… Lantash… Orlin… Joe… the other Jonas… Agent Barrett… Martin… Teal'c… Mitchell…" He winced when she hit him, both of them laughing at the absurdity of it all. He smiled mischievously, his complexion flushed, and she replied quietly, sighing,

"You."

He blinked, thinking that he must be a lot drunker than he thought he was. "Me?"

She nodded. "Yep."

"Ah."

"Yeah."

"So…?"

She stroked his chest slowly as she gazed at him. "Didn't you ever wonder why, in those two alternate universes, their 'me' was with their Jacks? You weren't there… that's not to say that if you weren't here, I'd be jetting off to D.C… It's just that… well…" she sighed, "I never told you… or anyone this. He came to see me in Nevada."

Despite his drunkenness, he froze, watching her fearfully as she continued, her gaze dropping to his chest, "I'd already let him go by then and was missing you like crazy… he… well, he basically laid his cards on the table. After all those years I wasted pining for him, the moment that I had dreamed about turned into something similar to a business proposal."

Struggling to process what she had said, and what she could say, he asked, "What happened?"

"I ended it. I know I had already let him go by then but nothing was said. In Nevada though, I ended it. I told him that I… that I respected and loved him as a friend and CO but nothing more. He looked hurt and I hated myself for it, but he was nice about it and asked me to promise him something."

She met his gaze once again. "He asked me to promise that I wouldn't wait for the one person that I did love, and that I could be surprised. I think he figured it then… The reason why I never said anything to you was because I thought you weren't interested… and then Vala came into the picture. That man should be shot each time he puts the dumb-Jack act on."

He frowned, still processing it, and then he began, "It…" She interrupted him with a kiss, and replied, knowing what he was going to ask, "Only you."

They smiled at each other, he remarking, "You really don't know how happy that makes me."

She reached under his shirt to rub his lower back as she rested her head against his chest, his arms holding her firmly. "Show me tomorrow."


	10. Chapter 10

Sam woke up with a smile on her face during the night, the reason down to a certain affectionate Archaeologist nuzzling her neck. He grinned on seeing that she was not only awake but not going to kill him for waking her up, and they kissed, the Colonel sighing happily during the clinch as she held onto him.

He whispered, gazing at her lovingly when she made to undo his shirt, "Sam... just because we're in my bed doesn't mean we have to do it. It's great just being with you. I don't want you to feel you have to do anything."

She smiled at his thoughtfulness, stroking his jaw. "I want to."

They kissed again and she went back to undoing his shirt buttons as he began to get a little scared, chiefly as he hadn't done anything remotely like he was about to do in such a long time. Sensing this, and understanding what he was going through to a certain extent, she paused when she had finished with the buttons and kissed him softly; the gesture an assurance and a promise.

He returned the kiss, this gesture a promise of his own to relax and just let go for once as well as a testimonial of how much he loved and trusted her.

She took his shirt off and then marvelled at his semi-naked form. She had seen him almost naked before... the most memorable time being when he had descended from being semi-ascended, but this time was much different. This time, she could touch him without reservations, without worrying about protocol or anyone or anything... and this time, she could admire his sculpted figure to a similar degree.

She ran her fingers down his chest and his stomach, familiarising herself with the previously unknown, the soon-to-be formerly unchartered. The fact that she was going to have exclusive rights on it, for however long, sent an electrifying thrill through her.

Surprised that she actually appeared to like what she was seeing, and feeling a once familiar warmth spread through him as a result of her touch, he pulled her top off, the Colonel helping him when he decided to be too polite to pull it all off. It was then that he just stopped, unable to keep himself from gawping at her. He caught glimpses of her beauty over the years, but nothing like this.

Amused at the dazed expression that slid across his face and remained, flattered and embarrassed too, she removed her underwear, which resulted in one stunned Archaeologist. Smiling, she held him close, the sensation of skin against skin almost too much for either to bear.

Snapping out of daze, he held her tightly, kissing her shoulder as he rubbed her back, her own hand rubbing his shoulder and the back of his head. Like this they remained for a long while, their bodies communing, repairing and re-establishing their bond.

After a long, long moment, as he waited for her to make the first move, she released him, fumbling with the belt buckle on his jeans. He touched her cheek and when she looked at him, she stopped and smiled, the look one of a common understanding that it would be easier to work on removing their own clothes.

They did just that, both of them increasingly stunned on sighting the other's nakedness.

Taking it slow at first, they lie parallel, gazing at each other lovingly as they exchanged kisses and touches.

It was then that something snapped.

The kisses became more and more passionate, the touches and caresses more and more intimate as their bodies kindled and then blazed in the heat of passion. Years of suppressed feelings surfaced and resurfaced, intensified and sky-rocketed. She held onto him as he rested himself over her, his lips moving from hers to her throat and her chest as she writhed beneath his touch in sheer bliss, calling his name... an act which excited him even more, the very idea that it was him who was giving her so much pleasure, so much happiness, and no-one else. The idea alone made him feel as though he was the happiest and the luckiest man on the planet.

She smiled as she kissed him, seeing the love and the lust blazing in his eyes, the sight shocking to say the least, but welcome nonetheless. She ran her hands up and down his torso, sometimes on his backside during rare lucid moments, and as he continued to make love to her, she realised that she had never been so happy and so carefree in her entire life. Also, she had never seen him nearly so playful or happy too, a fact which made her proud due to the reason appearing to be her and no-one else.

Pulses raced, breaths became ragged, and the eventually reciprocal lovemaking culminated in an explosive yet welcome release that neither had ever known before. Noisy, refreshing and sensational, it resulted in a feeling of soaring through the cosmos, through the furthest known stars and galaxies, into infinity itself.

When they came down from the breathtaking heights that they had ascended to, they clung onto each other, full of conflicting emotions; fear, love, wonder, amazement, joy, trepidation.

As she began to get tearful at never feeling anything as awe-inspiring and utterly wonderful, she realised as his body shook that he was crying. She held him tighter, realising the reasons for him doing so, that it had been such a long time... too long. She rubbed his back in long strokes and whispered in his ear,

"I love you Daniel... I love you."

His eyes so much clearer than she had ever remembered them being, he gazed at her as she tenderly wiped his tears away. "I love you too."


	11. Chapter 11

Cam, not having found Sam at home and worried about her as he had found her car and bike still in her garage, decided to rope Daniel into his search, knowing that the Archaeologist was having a couple of days leave and would help in an instant. Noting Daniel's car in the driveway and that he hadn't taken in his morning newspaper, Cam rang the doorbell, hoping that he was alright.

After a long moment, as he was about to whip his phone out, the door opened and he turned back, about to come up with some humorous remark when the words died on his lips. Sam had opened the door... Sam who was dressed only in what appeared to be a man's shirt, her hair mussed. Cam eventually remarked as she looked surprised to see him and then embarrassed,

"Holy Kansas."

She looked down at her feet and then said, opening the door wider, "I think you'd better come in."

"Look... if you guys are... It's fine. I can come later."

"Come on, Cam... you might as well know what's going on."

Cam, still stunned, sat down in the lounge as Sam was about to leave the room when Daniel appeared, wearing only his boxers, his hair mussed too and wearing no glasses. "Sam, who wa..." He trailed off on seeing Cam, who raised his eyebrows at him, now smirking despite being stunned even further, and Daniel said,

"Mitchell."

"Yep... one and the same. So... you two, huh? You've finally ended the misery for everyone and got laid. Good on ya."

Sam, amused at Daniel's embarrassment at his own semi-naked form, ran out to get a t-shirt as the Archaeologist rolled his eyes at the remark. Cam shrugged. "Hey, no, it's good. Well, what would be even better is the reason. Are you in love or is it just a friends with benefits thing? I have to know because it'll affect the band if you guys have problems... or conversely, if you turn out to be too hot for each other's bodies."

Daniel, red from the face down, nodded and Sam returned with a t-shirt, the Archaeologist smiling gratefully at her before putting it on, and he replied, glancing at Sam as he held her hand when they sat together on the couch, opposite Cam's armchair, "We won't ruin the team."

"You didn't answer the question. Are you in love or is it a comfort thing?"

Sam squeezed Daniel's hand and they gazed each other again, smiling slowly. She kissed him on the cheek and Daniel replied, now smiling, "We're in love."

Cam smiled as he watched them hold hands and he said, excited, "I was hoping you'd finally get over that blindness and see it! You probably didn't see it but you were as miserable as a teetotaller during happy hour. Man... all that blanking and ignoring, and it turns out that the medicine was just a good ol' fashioned laying. I wish I'd thought of it... telling you guys to quite literally 'fuck off' would have been the highlight of my career… which is pretty sad considering the wonders we've seen on our cross-galactic tour." He smiled as they, embarrassed, looked down at their laps.

He slapped his thighs and then got up, remarking cheerfully, "Well... now I know that you're both ok... and your neighbours know their mysterious geek next door is finally getting some action..." When they looked confused as well as embarrassed, he continued with a glare, "For people who've been doing the whole obfuscate, black-ops thing for a while, you sure miss the little details... like taking in your morning paper. Honestly... you thought I was on about acoustics..." He smirked and then said,

"Well... I guess I'll see you guys when your leave's done... we could have a little night out at O'Malley's or something with Vala and T-man." He looked at Sam and then pointed in the vague direction of the front door with his head, "Walk the product of Jacob Carter's 1969 Kansas fling to the door?"

Daniel looked amused as he patted an equally amused Sam's knee before she got up, glancing at him as she followed Cam out into the hallway.

As the Archaeologist went upstairs to get pyjama bottoms, still embarrassed at his state of dishabille, Sam leaned against the front door as Cam stood close to her, and he asked quietly, "Are you happy? This isn't just a relief or anything like that for you, is it?"

She replied with a smile, her eyes getting a little moist, "It's not a fling, Cam. I honestly couldn't be happier. I've wanted to tell him how I felt for so long but it was always one thing after the other." He smiled and touched her cheek affectionately. "I just wish I could have told you. You've been such a great friend... like a brother."

He glanced down for a moment and then shrugged. "Water under the bridge... I know you would have told me when you were ready... I did kinda guess the way the tide was turning though." He smiled. "I'm happy for you... you especially because you've been through so much crap... and you can't get better than Jackson. He'll love you with all of his heart and still feel guilty that he can't love you more. He'll fight to the death and beyond for you. That man, Samantha, is a keeper."

She smiled and hugged him as his own arms came around her, replying, "Thank you, Cam. Thanks. You're the little brother I wish I'd had."

"And you're the way, way older sister that I might have had if Mom and Dad got jiggy with it well before the end of the sixties."

She swatted him across the chest and they both laughed, before he said, looking concerned, "Take care, ok? You know how I hate seeing you hurt. If Jackson messes you around, and I highly doubt that he will, but if he does... I'll be second in line to sort him out if Teal'c doesn't get there before me."

She smiled. "Thanks, Cam... that means a lot to me."

"Hey, it's nothing. Anyway, I better go... you guys don't want a little brother cramping your style. I'll see you next week... give me a call if you wanna hang out."

They hugged and said their farewells before the southern Colonel left, Sam quickly bringing in the morning paper that was on the front step. She went back in with a smile on her face and found herself in Daniel's arms again as the door slammed shut, the Archaeologist's lips immediately going to her neck as she turned in his embrace, pushing him up against the front door. She kissed him, both of them smiling, and he whispered when they gazed at each other,

"Come on, let's take a breakfast recess." He suddenly looked guilty and he asked, rubbing her back, "How are your wounds?"

She smiled at his concern. "They're fine… you didn't hurt me at all, which is a surprise… considering." Giving him a quick kiss, she took him by the hand, leading him into the kitchen as she said, "It's just as well you put some clothes on otherwise I'd be too distracted to eat… food that is." She laughed when he reddened.


	12. Chapter 12

"Hmm, this has got to be the best leave I've ever had... and it's barely even started."

Sam hummed in contentment against Daniel's chest as they lay together on his bed, in each other's arms after some post-breakfast lovemaking. He hummed in reply, whispering with a little smile that, alone, took years off his appearance,

"I'm going to have to agree with you."

He slowly ran the tips of his fingers up and down her back as she massaged his shoulder, and she asked, "Do you think Cam's going to tell?"

He looked confused for a moment, wondering what she had meant, before realising. He kissed the top of her head and replied softly, "He's not a grass. He'll probably just tell Teal'c, and then wait for us to come clean with the General." He gazed down at her. "_If_ we do want to come clean."

She looked up at him and replied as he became lost in her eyes, "I don't want to hide this, Daniel. We've been hiding feelings for so long... I want the world to know that we're seeing each other... I want to be able to hold your hand when we go out or when we're with friends, without fear of anything. I don't want to hide." She caressed his cheek. "What about you? What do you want?"

The fingers that had previously been on her back were now caressing the back of her neck as he replied with a beautiful smile, his eyes glistening with unshed tears, "I want all of that, Sam... all of it and so much more. I'm sick of hiding how I feel about you."

She smiled down at him and then laughed happily before they kissed. As she caressed his hip, she lay back next to him, and said, "Barely a day in and this is the best relationship I've ever had." She kissed the tip of his nose and then asked, her smile fading, "So... how long have you been hiding these orgasm-inducing feelings for me?"

He reached over to stroke her cheek, replying quietly, his smile gone too, "Since forever. Looking back, I fell in love with you when we first met, but I was just so... lost, for lack of a better word, yet driven to find Sha're. I remember thinking when you'd went down in that elevator with Cassie, how empty my life would be without you."

She raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That long?"

He nodded, and she asked, "Was it related to that question you asked me on Vis Uban?"

He lowered his gaze and closed his eyes. She drew him closer and kissed his hair, knowing that his time among the Ascended could be a touchy subject. He finally met her gaze and replied,

"Yes. I think my time with the Ancients really opened up my eyes and my perceptions. I consciously fell in love with you all over again when I met you on the planet. It gave me my peace... allowed me to move on with my life... eventually."

Remembering how he had relived his pain over losing Sha're when he had got that part of his memories back, she held him close, rubbing his lower back as he rested his head against her bosom. She kissed his hair again, and he asked,

"What about you?"

"It would have to be Abydos for me too." She smiled. "You certainly have an affect on doe-eyed Air Force Astrophysicists... and aliens, Doc."

They both laughed and he remarked in disbelief, "I do not!"

She shook her head in disbelief at his obliviousness and she said, "Well... you stole my heart then. I remember making a fool of myself when I introduced myself. I was like this grinning idiot and Jack's face, I imagine, was priceless."

He chuckled briefly. "Now that I think about it... you were gushing."

They sighed happily, and then he said softly as he played with her hair, "What about the regulations?"

"Hmm?"

"You know... the ones that everyone thought were keeping you and Jack apart?"

She blinked. "Oh." She exhaled and remarked with a shrug, "We're SG-1. I'm sure we don't need the false modesty now – we're both needed on the team."

He looked at her sceptically for the second time that day. "Yeah right. Come on. I'm an Archaeologist."

She smiled. "... and a linguist, diplomat... and the best damn chance we have against the Ori."

He made to object, when she, smiling at his self-doubt and his apparent inability to see his worth, said, "Daniel?"

He looked at her, expecting her to say something when she continued with a mischievous smile, "Shut up and kiss me."

They smiled into the kiss, channelling their energies into it as well as the various routes their hands were taking, and she said, gazing at him as she rested her head on the pillow next to his, watching the dazed expression on his face, "We're both needed, Daniel... you especially for your insight into how the Ancients work, the linguistics, archaeology, negotiating... The success of many of our missions past and present depended on you." He made to object once again but she placed a finger on his lips to silence him. "I'm not delusional or a liar." Her smile faded. "I know that you're feeling guilty about the Ori knowing about us in the Milky Way, but... come on, we're explorers and explorers take risks... some of them aren't nice."

She moved her finger and he turned to lay on his back, remarking deprecatingly, "Right... the subjugation of thousands upon millions across the stars, a fanatical crusade by lunatics hell-bent on dominating the galaxy... pretty big risk. Don't get me started about letting the Goa'uld know about Earth..."

She snapped, upset at the way he piled blame on himself, "Daniel!"

He looked at her in surprise and she sat up, continuing, "Honestly, Daniel. For crying out loud! How were you to know that any of those things would happen?!" She glanced back at him as he tentatively sat up with her. "None of it was your fault! It just happened..." She looked down at her hands as her voice softened. "But look what happened along the way." She looked at him at him again, touching his face. "The things we've seen... the Stargate alone has been the biggest vehicle for human development since... dear God, since the invention of the combustion engine... or even the wheel. And we've helped so many people... if you hadn't opened the 'gate, Abydos would have been destroyed sooner or later by Ra; so many thousands if not millions of people would still be enslaved by the Goa'uld. Now you can say all you want about how much you're to blame but believe me... no-one blames you in the slightest. You opened up the Universe for us." She remarked with a smile, "Maybe one day they'll have a Daniel Jackson day."

He blushed at the compliment and then sighed, replying softly as he gazed at her, years of pain in his eyes, "Thanks Sam... that made me feel a little better about it all. Maybe I'll feel even better once we've defeated the Ori."

"I like your optimism."

They kissed and then returned to their reclining positions. He rubbed her stomach and then asked, "What do you want for dinner? We could go out."

She caressed his hip as she replied, looking thoughtful, "I don't think that's a good idea seeing as we're not out yet... and if the NID happen to spot us, we'll be in bigger trouble if they decide to report us."

"Good point... so... naked pizza?"

She laughed at his cheekily innocent expression as she swatted him across the chest. "Daniel!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Daniel remarked as they finished the last of the pizza that they had ordered in as they watched a DVD, "You like that shirt, don't you?"

Sam smiled as she sat next to him, wearing nothing but one of his shirts again. "It's nice."

"I think Jack would have a heart attack if he decided to pay a visit."

They both simultaneously looked towards the doorway into the hallway and then at each other, eventually smiling in amusement. She remarked,

"I can't believe we just thought of the same thing."

"Yeah, well, saying fate-tempting things like that usually results in some funny stuff. Can you imagine if he was at the door just as we'd looked?"

She laughed softly. "That would have been too spooky."

She stretched in his embrace as his arms came around her, and then sat on his lap and kissed him, remarking, "How about some other more fun funny stuff?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Unbeknownst to either of them, none other than Jack O'Neill stood on the doorstep of Daniel's house. He was about to knock but then an indefinable instinct stopped him despite the Archaeologist's car being in the driveway... which he noted to himself was not as neatly parked as it usually was. He smiled briefly as he thought of Daniel finally getting laid but then he shook the thought out of his head.

"No... it's Daniel... the United States' primary exporter of guilt... and he's too principled to get a hooker."

He suddenly wondered whether the Archaeologist was ill and he became worried. His instinct flaring up when he made to knock again, he frowned and then crouched near the window of the lounge, peeking in and then he saw a sight that nearly resulted in him falling backwards.

Carter... and Daniel.

Carter wearing only a shirt... and Daniel wearing only pyjama bottoms; the same Daniel that would only take his boxers and t-shirt off in the shower whenever the team got changed before or after a mission.

Wow.

He saw them talking, laughing more than he had ever seen either of them laugh, and they then got embroiled in a passionate clinch. He grimaced and then turned away, fleeing for his car and putting his plans to see his best friend and on the shelf for the time being.

When he had eventually got into his car, which he had parked a block away, having intended to surprise his friend, he sighed, processing what he had seen. He had known since he had visited Carter in Nevada that she hadn't really returned his feelings... well, he had known long before that but only acknowledged the signs in hindsight.

He slowly smiled, remarking to himself, "They're finally getting some action. Good on them." He quietly drove away, gradually becoming happier that his friends had found their own happiness together.


	13. Chapter 13

Sam walked into the Infirmary at the SGC to get some more bandages for the rest of her leave as well as to get her wounds checked out, perplexed at the odd looks and smiles she had been given along the way. She put it down to paranoia as she sat on a gurney, waiting for the doctor.

A couple of minutes later, Carolyn appeared, she too smiling oddly at her, and Sam greeted her normally, wondering whether she had caught a paranoia-inducing bug off-world. The doctor smiled and said,

"Dad knows."

Well, it wasn't paranoia, apparently.

Sam blinked in surprise and asked, "The Gen... wait, how...?"

Carolyn replied as she drew a curtain around them to give Sam some privacy during the exam, "Well... General O'Neill dropped by. He came to see Dad to request that you both stay on SG-1."

As Carolyn began her examination of Sam's wounds, the doctor continued, "So... is the good old General a liar?"

Sam said, distracted for a moment by a scar on her arm, "No."

Carolyn smiled. "I thought not. So, you and Daniel? That's so simple it might just work. I'll have to say you are looking a lot more happier than I've ever seen you. Mind you, I only started almost two years ago. For all I know, you probably smiled all the time 'til I showed up."

Sam blushed slightly as she looked down, and Carolyn asked, "How are you doing? Any pain?"

Sam looked confused for a moment at the sudden change of subject and she replied distractedly, "Nope."

"Good. It's all healing nicely."

Carolyn finished her exam and Sam put her shirt back on, the doctor continuing with a smirk, "... except for the discreet and somewhat tasteful hickies on your neck."

Sam's face flamed instantly, a hand reaching self-consciously to the part of her neck that Daniel seemed to have had a fascination with, and Carolyn bit back a laugh. "Well, at least I know you won't sneak in during your leave to work. That's reassuring to anyone who knows you. How's things?"

Sam glanced at the curtain, pressing her lips together for a moment in thought before saying, "Can we talk in your office?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Now in Carolyn's office, Sam sat opposite the doctor as said doctor asked, leaning forward on her desk as she watched the Astrophysicist with interest, "So...?"

Sam replied with a glowing smile, "It's amazing."

Carolyn raised an eyebrow briefly. "I gathered that. This is Daniel Jackson we're talking about. You have no idea how much of a crush each of my Nurses have on the man. If looks could kill, you'd be blown skyhigh." She smiled, feigning innocence. "So... what's he like?"

Sam exclaimed in disbelief, "Carolyn!"

"Hey, come on... all week long I've had to deal with diseases, weapon wounds, parasites and all sorts... and you are glowing. Come on, don't be shy... you must have done it already."

Sam smiled in embarrassment as she looked down and then she looked up at the doctor, replying softly, "Absolutely amazing. I mean, _amazing_ doesn't cover it."

"Go on."

Sam looked awkward and then remarked, "Get a life."

"If only I could... not many men would take to a woman who can't tell him everything about her job."

Remembering Pete, Sam replied softly, "Tell me about it."

Carolyn watched the thoughtful looking Colonel and said with a smile, "Well, I may not be Doctor Frasier, but I'm always here if you want to talk. Seriously, I can't remember where I live now."

Sam smiled slightly and asked, "How's it going?"

"What, me not having a life outside of this mountain? Swimmingly."

"Does, uh... does General Landry want me and Daniel to go talk to him?"

"No, he's happy to wait. Apparently he was... young once." The doctor grimaced as Sam looked a little embarrassed. The Colonel asked,

"How's things between him and your Mom?"

The doctor grimaced again. "Not good. I can't seem to hold Dad down to date to meet up with Mom. She's travelling in Europe for a few months... that should give him time enough to think."

"Come on, you knew it wasn't going to be easy... plus, the SGC doesn't help."

Carolyn shrugged. "Yeah... Since working here, I've become closer to him through knowing why he wasn't there when I was growing up."

"Does that mean you'll be changing your surname back?"

Carolyn replied, "I have no idea. I haven't actually thought about it. I suppose I could go double-barrelled."

There was a knock at the door and Carolyn said, looking up, "Ah, the medicine calls once again."

Sam got up and replied with a smile as a Nurse entered the room, "I'll see you later. Take care." The two women hugged, Carolyn giving Sam some spare bandages and antiseptic cream, and Carolyn replied,

"Don't be a stranger."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sam slipped into Daniel's office, surprised for a moment on seeing the Archaeologist waiting for her as he perched on the front edge of his desk. They gazed at each other and said simultaneously before smirking briefly at their seeming ability to know what the other was about to say,

"They know."

She joined him on the desk and they kissed, Daniel asking, admittedly feeling a little scared, "Do you want to see General Landry now... you know, just so we're clear in case we have to come back to an emergency?"

"That would be wise."

They nodded, neither getting up, and Daniel said, now feeling disturbed, "Jack saw us."

"Yep. We tempted fate after all."

"That little sneak."

Sam smiled. "Have you seen him?"

"General Landry said he'd gone to Chicago."

"Right. So..."

"Let's roll, Colonel-Doctor." They kissed again before leaving the office, hand-in-hand.


	14. Chapter 14

Sam and Daniel left Landry's office with solemn expressions on their faces. They glanced at each other as they walked through the briefing room and out into the corridor. In the relative freedom of the corridor, they reached for each other's hand and started smiling in relief. He led her into his office, and as soon as the door closed, they were in each other's arms.

Sam said in relief, her head against his shoulder, "Oh God... despite what Carolyn said... I was worried that he would be funny about it."

He closed his eyes as he rested his head against hers, holding her tighter. "I know." He gazed at her, touching her jaw as she looked up at him, her eyes moist, "You know I would have quit if it meant..."

She nodded, smiling through oncoming tears and she stretched up to kiss him, replying, "And I would have resigned my commission..." she sniffed. "What scares me the most was that I'd never seriously considered doing that or giving up SG-1 for anyone before... but I would for you."

They hugged again, the Archaeologist gently rubbing her back as he kissed her ear. He said with a sigh, "To be honest, I would rather resign than risk losing you... but it's the jobs we have... and I know that we could never quit totally, knowing just what's going on out there."

She nodded against his shoulder and then she looked up at him, gently kissing him. He smiled slightly as he returned the kiss, caressing her cheek as he did so.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

As Sam, having sworn Daniel to secrecy, snuck off to get caught up on some work, the Archaeologist decided to get cracking with his own work. As he got stuck into reading reports, correcting translations all the while, the door opened and he glanced up. He then looked up in surprise on seeing none other than Jack in the door, the General dressed in civilian clothes, having returned from paying his ex-wife a visit in the Windy city.

Daniel said, now feeling let down that Jack had not only seen him and Sam together but had told Landry, "Jack."

A smirking Jack raised his eyebrows briefly and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him as he remarked, "I see you're finally getting some action, Dannyboy."

When Daniel blushed, Jack continued, feigning exasperation, "The geeky type of action that you're getting stuck into right at this moment. Sheesh, you and your dirty mind." His eyebrows rose again. "Speaking of dirty..." he sat down on a chair on the other side of the Archaeologist's desk. "A little birdie told me a few things."

Daniel retorted grimly, "Would that little birdie be called Jack O'Neill and be a pain-in-the-ass."

"I see you're not an ornithologist."

Dumbfounded at the term Jack had used, Daniel stared at him, agape as Jack, taking advantage of the gap, remarked, "You and Carter got jiggy with it... finally. I mean, come on, how long were you planning on putting it off? You haven't had any action since Ke'ra which is like... woo... seven years."

Daniel, his face burning in embarrassment, looked down at his desk, the General enjoying the teasing a little too much.

"... and I knew for years that you were who Carter really had her eyes on. That woman can be stupendously blind and stubborn when she wants to be... just like you. You... you, uh, might want to close your drapes though when you get those action-Jackson urges... otherwise your neighbours are going to get their telescopes and camcorders out on shag-day... which judging by how hot for each other you two were on your couch yesterday, would most likely be everyday."

Daniel, thoroughly embarrassed now, rolled his head back. "Jaaack!"

He finally looked at the smirking General, who shrugged and said, "I am happy for you. It's just that you've practically been a monk and I've been storing up these taunts and teases for ten years. It's a lot for a man to take... even if he is me. So how are things? You decided on whether you're moving in together yet?"

Daniel looked down at his desk and replied quietly, wishing his face wouldn't heat up so much, "No... it's still pretty early."

"Apparently not too early to get her into bed... you dog."

Daniel looked affronted at the remark and Jack raised his hands in a placating gesture, his eyebrows going up for a moment. "Hold your horses, Space Monkey. I'm just happy for you. You're like the brother I never had. If I had a brother..."

"If you had a brother, he'd kill you."

Jack appeared thoughtful. "Perhaps... although seeing as I'm Special Forces and Black Ops trained, I would kick his ass from here to Atlantis and back again. Now... if _you_ had a sister..."

"I would never let her near you."

"I'm hurt, Daniel... I really am... you big meanwad."

The two men looked at each other for a moment and then suddenly smiled. Daniel asked, "How was Chicago?"

Jack shrugged, replying as his smile disappeared, "Sara's Dad, Mike, died a couple of months ago and she was pretty angry with me at first... demanding to know why I could never be contacted easily."

Daniel said, concerned, "Sorry to hear that. You know... if you seriously thought about getting back with her, you could brief her about the programme."

Jack grimaced. "Yeah... let's not think that far yet. When I left, she hated my guts slightly less than she already had." He changed the subject, not wanting to talk about his failed marriage or his late son. He rubbed his hands together. "So... when were you finally going to break the news that you and Carter were playing hide the sausage? And did it ever occur to you that you could never change in front of me and T in the locker-room but something like two days into your relationship, you're already basking around your house half-naked and more with Carter."

Daniel's face flamed again and Jack, his smirk fading into a wistful smile as he thought of what might have been, asked, "Are you happy?"

Daniel met the older's man gaze, wondering if he was joking at first but then saw the seriousness along with the pain his eyes. "I've never been happier."

Jack smiled. "Good. I was talking to Carter earlier... much briefer than this chinwag, and she's glowing more than a model in a Maybelline commercial. That's what sex does to people who go without for so long." His smile faded as he became once more haunted by his past. "Reminds you of what it feels like to be human again."


	15. Chapter 15

Vala, curious at what she had heard and then on learning from Cam, and then Daniel and Sam that what she had heard hadn't strictly been a lie, entered Sam's lab without knocking, finding the Astrophysicist reading something with a glowing smile on her face. Sam looked up and said with a smile that Vala had never seen before,

"Vala... hey, what's up?"

Vala replied with a shrug as she took a seat, "Nothing much... I'm just curious. You and Daniel are an item."

Sam said with a guarded expression, "Yes. What about it?"

Vala cocked her head as she watched the Colonel, said Colonel not missing the brief glint of pain in the alien's eyes. "It's... it's nice." She shrugged. "After all this time, I was beginning to think that Daniel didn't like girls, but evidently that assumption has been blown out of the water."

Sam now watched the alien, curious, searching for something in her demeanour that might reveal something about her feelings. "You like him, don't you?"

Vala replied with a none too convincing smile, "Of course I like him."

"You know what I mean."

"Unfortunately I do." She chewed her lip for a moment. "Samantha... can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

Vala nodded. "What... what happened? Did he take pity on you because of your injuries? I mean, it's rather convenient don't you think, that you're friends for so many years and then you have an accident and you're now in his bed." The alien willed herself not to cry, saving her tears for when she would be alone.

Sam, now upset, shot back, "Vala, how could you say that?! I love him and he loves me!"

Vala, her voice rising an octave as it trembled with emotion, retorted, "Oh really? I've been hanging around with him far more than you have these past few months and he never talked about you like that! Granted he never talks about his wife, but at least he has a picture of her on his desk. As for you... you are just a flash in the pan, as Cameron would say. He's just lonely. Think about it... I've heard rumours that he hasn't had sex for a long, long time... he even resisted my attempts to seduce him... there's only so much one man can take."

Sam began to cry, very, very upset at Vala's words, which to her began to sound truthful. "You don't know him. How dare you judge either of us and our relationship like that? Get out."

Now feeling pretty evil, Vala said, calming down, "Samantha..."

Angry, Sam shouted, "Now!"

Vala, her eyes filling up with tears as she began to regret what she had said, left the lab as Sam, not feeling like working now, rested her head in her hands. Had Vala been telling the truth? Was she just passing through? Was she just a fling? A release? Sam sniffed back more tears and then dried her eyes, feeling a strong urge to leave the mountain to clear her head.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Daniel, a mixture of tiredness and sympathy after talking to Jack, longed to hold Sam in his arms and forget everything else. He made his way to her lab with a bright smile on his face, gleefully anticipating what would happen when his smile faded on finding the room locked. He knocked on it, calling,

"Sam!"

Felger, on his way to his own lab, some folders under his arm, stopped on seeing Daniel, and said, "Sam's gone. She said she had to leave and she didn't look very happy. I think she was tired."

Daniel nodded in thanks to the Physicist before walking away, confused at why Sam wouldn't say anything about going home. Returning to his office to grab his jacket, he was about to leave when Vala appeared in the doorway, asking,

"Where are you going?"

Daniel replied distractedly, walking past her in the doorway and out into the corridor, "I'm looking for Sam. She just went."

She, now feeling even more bad for her earlier actions, said, "Oh."

He stopped, turning towards her as he asked, an eyebrow raised, "Oh? Do you know where she is?"

She closed her eyes briefly and said, looking sheepish as well as sorry, "I... I might have said something to her about her being a flash in the pan. I mean, I do have a point, don't I? You haven't had a relationship for a long time... and it's only natural that you'd seek a release in Samantha what with her being a far trusted friend than I am."

He couldn't believe what he had heard. He asked, his voice dangerously calm, "What did you say?"

She turned away from him but he, a little too aggressively, forced her to turn back to him, saying, "Vala... tell me."

She finally looked up at him and replied, "That you don't really love her... that essentially she's just passing through... that you took pity on her because of her motorcycle crash. Why else would you get with her?"

His eyes widening in horror as well as anger, he remarked heatedly, "How could you tell her that?! That's..." he closed his eyes. "... I thought better of you than that... I really did. My mistake." His voice rose, shaking with barely suppressed anger and grief. "Do you realise what you've done?! You may have ruined the best relationship that I have ever had... and an injured and now upset woman is out there by herself. How could you?! God! Of all the things you've done... this has got to be the most despicable... Vala, I love her... I'm in love with her, and you've just wrecked that. Thank you very much."

She felt worse on seeing that she had been completely wrong, and he turned on his heel, storming away from her in the direction of the lifts, angrily shoving his jacket on. She watched his retreating figure with a sad expression, now wishing that she hadn't been born.


	16. Chapter 16

Sam, at her house, sat on the end of her bed, sniffing back more tears as she wept, feeling lost and crippled by an overwhelming emotional pain. She felt dirty and used, and she could barely believe that Daniel would do something like that... to anyone never mind one of his long-standing friends. She closed her eyes as she clutched a pillow, thinking of Vala's words and how the alien hadn't appeared to be joking.

Surely, someone as incredibly perceptive as Vala would have got to have known Daniel pretty well. Perhaps Vala had already seduced him and he was just being polite when he had been with her.

What hurt the most was that she had allowed herself to be vulnerable in front of him, giving her all to him, and for what? She shook her head, thinking how for the first time in a long time she had felt safe enough to completely be herself with a man, and he of all people had just used her. She thought back to how she previously surmised that he had been seeing Vala and then he had assured her that he hadn't been on a date with her the night the alien had been kidnapped by Athena's operatives.

He had told her that he had loved her... he had even showed her. Now she seriously doubted his actions, his sweet words to her. Had they all been an act? Why would he do such a thing to her? Just to be nice... or as a means to an end? True, Daniel would do anything for anyone, but not like that. This was new.

Or had he done the same to Vala?

She couldn't believe how she had let herself be drawn to him like that, how she had shared things with him that she had never shared with anyone else. She felt angry; she felt used; she felt betrayed... but most of all, she felt a fool.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Daniel didn't know where to start... where could she have gone? Her motorbike had been written off by her insurance company after the accident, which meant that she couldn't have got far. He surmised that perhaps she had driven to some secluded place if she was upset, to get away from it all. He hit his steering wheel in frustration before aiming in that direction, hoping that she was alright.

A couple of hours later, his search fruitless, he drove around the city, feeling utterly helpless. Where could she have gone? For all he could have known, she could have gone to the airport and... He then grimaced... she could have been in his house all this time, smashing the place and, not to his surprise, rigging it with explosives.

A nagging feeling at the back of his mind that had been there for while began to scream for attention, and he frowned slightly. He sped away, past the exit for his own house, silently hoping and praying that he would find her.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"You did what?! Aw... jeez!"

Cam threw his hands down in frustration, unable to believe what he had heard from a penitent Vala, who looked ready to sink down into the earth. He rounded on her, angry,

"How could you? Of all the... You know, when I said not to screw up, I wasn't playin' about. I meant it. You mess with my band, you mess with me. I could have you off this team right now..." He scrubbed his head with his hands and then glared at her. "What possessed you to even do that? I thought Jackson's supposed to be the guy who believed in you, took a wild chance on you... and now you go double-crossing him like this. Do you even know how much pain that guy is already in without you sticking your muddy paws in him?! Honestly. Even I didn't think you had it in you and believe me, that is a lot. Don't get me started at how much you've hurt Sam. If I was her brother, I'd be well within my rights to knock you on your ass... As it is, I'm sorely tempted to get done for assault and battery."

She closed her eyes, saying quietly, upset, "Cameron... I... I... didn't think. I said all those hurtful things because I was angry and upset and I didn't understand... and..." she looked up at him, looking increasingly hurt and guilty, "I've hurt them... I've ruined everything. Samantha's forever going to see me as the _other_ woman... and while I would be flattered at such nomenclature... it's bad. And Daniel... I'd be surprised if he didn't kill me when he next sees me. As for you... Look, Cameron, I really am sorry. I wish I could use a Puddle Jumper to give myself a stiff talking to about letting my feelings cloud my judgement."

He looked at her challengingly, stepping closer as he looked increasingly intimidating. "You know... if she comes back to the Infirmary with injuries 'cos of going somewhere 'cos of what you said... it's going to haunt you for the rest of your life... at least I hope it will. Either way, I'm going to make you very sorry. And if Jackson shoots you if he loses her, me and T will make sure there are no witnesses."


	17. Chapter 17

Daniel almost breathed a sigh of relief on seeing Sam's car in her driveway. He parked up and quickly got out, making his way to her front door. He was about to knock when he realised that the door was unlocked and he quietly made his way in, keeping a cautious eye out for flying projectiles directed at his head.

He made his way around the ground floor, peeking into every room. Not finding her, he crept upstairs, peeking into each room, and then looked completely flummoxed on not finding her at all. He double-checked each room before looking increasingly puzzled. Sprinting downstairs, he was about to check the backyard when he heard the back door open.

Ignoring a sudden urge to hide, he went straight for the kitchen and that was when he saw her, his chest hurting on seeing her swollen eyes, a sign that she had been crying. She stared at him surprise for a moment and then said, her voice low but angry,

"Get out!"

He said with a sigh, feeling hurt, "Sam... please."

Her posture stiff, she narrowed her eyes at him, furious. "No... I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses." Her voice began to wobble as she turned away from him. "I... I let you see me. I shared so much with you... and it turns out that it's all because you felt sorry for me. God, Daniel..." she looked at him, her eyes exuding a mixture of sorrow and anger, "... you didn't have to treat me as a fucking charity case. I didn't think you had it in you. You used me because you were lonely and you felt sorry for me."

Galled at her words and sending some angry thoughts Vala's way, he made another attempt to placate her. "Sam... You've got it wrong."

She spat back, attempting to shield her emotions from him, "What... you had a bet going on?"

"No!" He carefully approached her, saying, his voice softer, "No... Sam, please... listen to me. Vala was being petty and mean. I swear to God that I would never use you or be with you for any other reason than the fact that I do love you." He touched her shoulder and she angrily shrugged his hand off, shooting back as more tears came,

"You're just saying that so you can... so you can use me again." He was shocked by the anger he saw in her eyes, the raw fury. "Go to hell, Daniel Jackson... go to hell and stay there."

Angry at the situation as well as upset and hurt, he shot back heatedly as she walked away from him, "Dammit, Sam! Will you just listen instead of making up your own version of events!?"

She turned back to him from the doorway, scepticism in amongst her many emotions plain on her face. "Oh... right... making it up, am I?! Your fucking girlfriend made it quite clear... Who the hell am I to argue with her?! You spend so much time with her and before my crash, you ignore me for ages! I hate you! She's right... it's just the sex. You don't want to feel alone any more. Neither do I... but for fuck's sake, at least have the decency to say that rather than getting me into bed under false pretences!"

She stormed out of the kitchen, running up the stairs, and he, angrier, ran after her. He caught her on the landing, grabbed her by her shoulders to turn her around, before kissing her forcefully. She angrily pushed him away from her, punching him as she said,

"Stay the hell away from me, Daniel."

She fled for the confines of her bedroom, locking herself in as he grimaced, touching his jaw. He then heard her muffled voice from within.

"I made myself vulnerable to you, Daniel. You of all people know I don't do that unless I trust someone... and I trusted you. I gave myself to you... I let you see all of me, shared my most private thoughts... and you were just using me."

He closed his eyes to stem the flow of oncoming tears and he went to sit on the floor next to her bedroom door, his back resting against it as he rubbed his face with his hands. He said, resting the back of his head too against the door,

"Sam... please hear me out. Please."

When he didn't hear anything, he continued, "I swear... Vala's just upset. She told me what she told you. It's all a lie – all of it. I don't know how to show you that I'm telling the truth, but I am." He sighed. "I love you, Sam. For the first time since Sha're, I feel ready to love again... and not just anyone. You. I love you. The feelings I feel for you... God, sometimes they hurt when I can't hold you or kiss you."

He closed his eyes, smiling briefly at memories. "The past couple of days have been the most wonderful of my life... not because of the sex. Sex is nothing without love... It wasn't because of the sex... it was because of you... of being with you. With you, I forget the war... with you, I'm not Doctor Jackson... I'm not Jackson... I'm not even one fifth of SG-1. I'm just Daniel. With you, I can be myself... I can... I can talk to you about anything... I can tell you anything... we laid awake talking about everything. I've never had a relationship like that before... and I know I never will... not without you. You're a special, beautiful, intelligent, strong woman with a passion, with fire and so much courage. I admire you. I always have."

He still didn't hear anything and he sighed, wondering if she had shinned down a drainpipe when suddenly the door gave way and he almost fell backwards into her room. He quickly got up as she stood watching him, not looking ready to trust him, her arms folded across her chest. He slowly reached out to stroke her cheek, whispering as his eyes filled up once again with pain,

"Sam. I'm sorry for whatever it is you think I've done."

She whispered, sniffing back tears as she turned her face from him, "You... you only took pity on me 'cos..." He gently turned her face back to him as he said,

"No... no. I swear. No. It wasn't pity."

She closed her eyes as she hung her head, trying to make the leap in order to believe him, when he tilted her face up and kissed her. This time, she didn't fight back but she didn't reply either. He held her in his arms as he continued kissing her when eventually she began to return his kiss, her own arms coming around him.

When they parted, he rested his forehead against hers, breathless, his eyes filling up with tears as he said, "God... you drive me crazy, Sam... I'd never dream of using you."

She sniffed and hugged him tight, and she whispered, "Make love to me, Daniel."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

They lie together naked in her bed, having made love slowly for about the first time in their blooming relationship, and he said softly as he caressed her stomach, "I'm really going to have to talk to Vala... I wish I had done that already... then all this wouldn't have happened. I still can't believe she told you all those things. Just because she always seems to be around me doesn't mean that she's the authority on me." He smiled slightly as he kissed her shoulder. "I know someone else who appears to have greater knowledge of me than anyone else."

She snuggled in his arms, feeling once again undeniably loved and cherished, and she replied, caressing the arms that held her, "Looking back... I can't believe that I fell for it." She turned in his embrace to look at him. "I can't believe I believed what she said. I'm supposed to know you more than anyone else anyway and I just listened to her words without thinking. I'll have to admit though that I think you would have given in to Vala eventually. You would have done it out of pity on discovering that she did have feelings for you."

"I would not!"

She smiled briefly at the defensive tone in his voice, and he continued, "I'm a firm believer that sex is something between two people who love each other already and want to express that love fully. If I did give in to her, one or both of us wouldn't be happy. I for one would feel it to be empty and meaningless if I didn't love her... and especially more so if she didn't love me." He kissed her again. "You make me so happy, Sam. With you, it's multidimensional, multifaceted... I can share anything with you."

She closed her eyes as she rested her head against his chest, caressing his waist, and she remarked eventually, feeling tired, "Well... we've got the next box on the list ticked off... I got you in my bed."

He smiled as he kissed her hair, retorting with a joke that made her laugh, "Next... your lab."


	18. Chapter 18

The next morning, Daniel's mobile buzzed on Sam's nightstand while the two scientists slept in each other's arms, having made love throughout the previous night. The Colonel woke first, for a moment looking ready to kill whoever had woken her up. She grabbed the offending phone and answered it, sounding irritated,

"What?"

She heard a laugh and then Cam remark, "Wow... Jackson, your voice has changed. What did Sam do to you yesterday?"

She ran her fingers through her hair a little nervous and retorted as Daniel began to stir, realising whose phone she had, "Shut up, Cam."

The southern Colonel's tone softened into one of concern as he asked, "You ok?"

She replied as she noticed Daniel watching her from his reclining position, and she smiled, "Yeah... I'm fine... thanks."

"Is Jackson there?"

"Yeah."

She handed the phone to the Archaeologist, mouthing Cam's name, and he raised his eyebrows briefly, expecting to be beaten up, if only verbally, by Sam's surrogate brother.

"Yeah."

"Hey Jackson."

Sam smiled at the apprehensive expression on Daniel's face and she kissed his jaw, caressing his hip in a silent reassurance before leaving to go the bathroom. Meanwhile Cam remarked,

"I take it yesterday went well... judging by the fact that Sam sounds as though she's just woken up and you're in her vicinity and still breathing. Vala told me what she told Sam... and I've been pretty pissy with her. I've warned her that she could lose her place on the team. Luckily, for her at least, I haven't told Landry anything but he's not going to stay out of the loop for long."

Daniel sighed. "Vala was... she was just being petty. We're angry with her too, but... I don't know. I guess it wasn't as much petty as it was based in some..."

"You mean she's got the hots for you?"

Daniel grimaced, sounding awkward. "Um... sort of."

"Well... I've had a talk with her about it."

"I think it's best that I have a talk with her, Mitchell. I mean... it is kind of my fault that this all happened in the first place. I should have made sure properly that she knew that I'm not interested in her. Plus, she's my responsibility seeing as I'm the one who said we could take a chance on her."

Cam sighed. "It's not easy being you, is it? Most guys would be all ego about being the subject of two women's fantasies... heck, I know I would be, but you... you're actually going to take the time to tell her that there's nothing. That takes some serious class, man." He paused. "You know... I knew you were at Sam's already... and... you're going to get some more teasing from General O'Neill, I'm afraid."

Daniel suddenly looked scared as well as spooked, and he asked, "How did you know?"

"Your subcutaneous dealies... O'Neill's idea. He kinda figured that if we actually went out to get you, we'd either come across a war or some pretty x-rated... I'm guessing the last one... so he had me tracking you guys. To tell you the truth... I think Landry must know but he's not saying."

Daniel reddened profusely, and Cam continued, laughing a little, "It was a little funny, I'll admit, tracking you going all over Colorado Springs in your car and then finding Sam. That argument must have been FOX worthy."

Daniel grimaced again, touching the bruised part of his jaw where Sam had hit him the day before, and he asked, "Is it still a shiner if it's on your jaw?"

There was a pause. "Oh boy... you know, if you still want to shoot Vala, we didn't see anything. T's giving the poor gal the cold shoulder, big-time." He paused again. "You might wanna ask O'Neill about shiners, him being Irish an' all."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

After an intimate dinner at an Italian restaurant, and then a long walk, the two of them stopped in a secluded garden. They sat down on a bench without a word, and Sam sighed as she rested her head on Daniel's shoulder. He looked down at her and she said, looking up at him with a guilty smile,

"I'm sorry about your bruise, Daniel."

He kissed her forehead and remarked with a little smile, "That's got to be the tenth time since last night. It's ok... I'm fine." His smile widened a little as he put an arm around her as she rested her head against his chest as he played with her. "I'll just be sure not to piss you off in the future."

She looked down at her hands, feeling bad. "I guess I should have thought about it before acting like that. I mean... how long have I known you compared to how long Vala's known you? I really am not proud of my behaviour yesterday. I was acting like a mad woman... I'm surprised you didn't just give up then. Trust is a big part of a relationship, the foundation if you will, and... God..."

Worried, he tilted her chin up so she would meet his eyes, disturbed at the unshed tears he saw there, and he kissed her. She eventually reciprocated, and he replied, "I would never leave you... and I know you misunderstood. You were already feeling insecure about the status of the relationship I have with Vala and my previous dwindling friendship with you. I'm really sorry about that... I just got so... caught up in everything that I forgot who I was... and that was when I needed you... and Teal'c, the most."

"You know... if all this guilt was corporeal, it would be pretty obstructive."

"I'll say." He smiled at her as he stroked her cheek. "I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy, Sam. You make me feel so alive... I can never remember feeling like this... ever. Not only is it wonderful to be in love again... it's even more so wonderful because I'm in love with you. You have no idea how... God... how much of an effect you have on people." They kissed once again, and he held her in his arms as she rested her head on his shoulder once again. She said softly, smiling a glowing smile that she had been using all day,

"I can say the same for you... you've changed me in so many ways... not just recently. Throughout the years we've been friends, you've showed me that there is always another way. You've showed me that..." she sighed happily. "... that love doesn't have to hurt. It can feel so great... and it's not just love... it's you. You have such a wonderful effect on people you meet and encounter... you're absolutely amazing. You're not afraid to stand up for yourself, especially in a military environment."

She slipped her arms around his neck and remarked as he looked surprised at how happy she looked, "I couldn't want or need anything more than you, Daniel... you're... you're everything that I could have dreamt of. Thank you." He had planned on objecting to her praise but then smiled as she kissed him, remarking to himself that her praise certainly did have its upsides.


	19. Chapter 19

"Vala..." Daniel began as Vala stood in his office one morning, looking anywhere but at him, and ashamed too. He sighed. "Look at me." She reluctantly looked at him, feeling more and more like a fool, and he continued, getting up to stand next to her, perching on the front edge of his desk,

"Vala... I just feel that after recent events... there's something that I should have told you. I honestly thought you would have got it already but you obviously didn't... or haven't, and that's my fault. I'm supposed to be aware of you as a person, looking out for you because essentially you're my responsibility at the SGC." He exhaled. "I'm sorry, Vala. I..." he shook his head, not sure how to word what he wanted to say. "... I like you... I love you as a friend. I've come to respect you as I've watched you grow since your time here... but I would never make a good lover to you. Do you know why?" She looked down again, feeling even more ashamed and he continued, looking at her in concern,

"Because you deserve someone who can love you back... in a more fulfilling way than I ever could. You're... you're an amazing woman but it would never work. Even if I'd never met Sam, I don't think it would work either. We're just too different. To be honest, you're a fruitcake and I'm not really much better. We have nothing in common."

He watched her for a long moment and asked softly, "Are you ok?"

She nodded, sniffing back tears as she replied, trying to maintain her composure although she sounded somewhat choked up, "I'm fine. I'm..." she looked at him and he was even more concerned to see the hurt in her eyes. "... fine."

She bit her lip and looked down again, saying softly, "I'm sorry about what I did. I don't usually apologise for my transgressions but I feel I need to here. I've lost everyone's friendship... yours especially. I nearly cost you and Samantha your blossoming relationship. I'm not a good friend at all. If there's anything that I've learnt since being on your fair planet, it's that friends don't double-cross each other... and I really nailed up on that."

He cleared his throat, correcting her. "Screwed up."

"That too." She sighed as she leaned her head back. "You honestly don't know how women see you, do you Daniel? Do you think that they're just being nice when they smile at you and make uncharacteristic conversation with you?"

His face flamed on realising what she had been insinuating, and she continued, sounding a little brighter, "You have quite the effect on every woman we come across... my daughter seems to have taken a liking to you even... which..." they both grimaced. "... isn't as appealing as it would have been had she not been a product of the Ori... not forgetting the huge, huge age gap. Eww."

She asked him, looking shy, "Does that mean you forgive me... and won't shoot me?"

He shook his head slightly in disbelief on realising that Cam had actually informed the alien of his threat, and he replied with a little smile, "We forgive you – no shooting."

She beamed at him, shyly at first. "Thanks... that means a lot." She paused. "Do I have to apologise to Samantha as well?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it's your choice... I suppose it would be a good idea seeing as we're all on the same team and it would be good to clear the air before we have to watch each other's backs on the next life or death mission."

"Good idea. Ok." Smiling slightly, she kissed him on the cheek and bounded out of his office as he shook his head again, smiling a little as he wondered what the future would hold for the team and the many and sometimes complex intra-team relationships.


	20. Chapter 20

_Six months later..._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sam, aboard the Odyssey, walked down a corridor, appearing to be deep in thought as she wondered what the Asgard could possibly want to tell them that had necessitated them flying the Odyssey to Orilla. She sighed and glanced up in time to see Daniel coming the other way, looking highly irritable. She paused, smiling in bemusement as she said,

"Daniel."

His tight, tired expression relaxed on finally noticing her and he stopped too, and hesitated before kissing her. She remarked, glancing behind him,

"I think General Landry was referring to combat situations when he gave us that warning. We're currently in transit."

He grimaced a little as they stood to one side in the corridor. "Still... after ten years of more or less impeccable service, you don't want the black mark to be something as uncool as 'unprofessional conduct' unless it was of the Jack variety."

She smiled slightly and then asked, "What's got you so annoyed?" She smiled again, running her fingers through his hair. "When you're grumpy or tired, your hair sticks up."

He sighed. "Vala. She's bored."

She rolled her eyes. "What did she do _this_ time?"

He closed his eyes, looking weary as he replied, "Threw a birthday party for me."

She looked confused. "But your birthday was three months ago."

He smiled briefly, remembering his birthday present, and then he said, frowning again, "She's bored... and driving me nuts."

"She's just being friendly... When we get home, and after the upcoming missions on the roster... we've got some leave and you can relax for once."

She smiled as she linked arms with him as they resumed walking, and she whispered in his ear with a coy smile, her utterance making him go red, "Anyway... you'll forget about everything later, I promise."

He began to look excited at the prospect of what she had implied and she remarked, glancing down, "Easy tiger... you don't want to have to explain to Cam why you have to lock yourself in your quarters."

He retorted with a cheeky smile, "I won't need to because you'll be with me... and then you'll have to explain to the General why you missed the Asgard's important announcement." He chuckled. "Jack reckons that Thor's found a way to sexually reproduce, and is announcing his engagement..."

She laughed. "Somehow I don't think that he would bring us to him for that... unless Asgard wedding ceremonies are spontaneous affairs." She looked at him as though she had just realised something. "You know... we don't know much about Asgard culture, do we?"

He shrugged. "They're a knowledge-centric civilisation... necessity and developments over frivolity and the abstract. To be honest, I don't think Thor ever mentioned a wife... or a husband. Maybe we should ask him about that when we see him."

She grinned before letting go of his arm as they reached the bridge. "I'd like to see Jack's face if we find out that Thor's married."

"Oh yes. Vulgar comments about logistics... I can hear them already."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sam sighed as she sat in her quarters to take a brief break to think as the Asgard installed their technology, weapons and knowledge throughout the Odyssey. She sat on the end of her bed, her back hunched as she thought of how the Asgard weren't going to be there any more. On arriving in orbit of Orilla, Thor had beamed aboard the ship to announce that they were going to give Earth all of their technology because they were dying. Humans were now the Fifth race... but that was of little consolation as the prospect loomed of Thor's impending demise along with his fellow Asgard.

For all their advancements in science and technology, their technological endeavours, they couldn't save themselves. The physiological changes that they had undergone as part of generations of cloning had not only given them their disease but had also wiped out any chance of ascending.

She sniffed back tears and exhaled, closing her eyes.

She heard the door open and then close quietly, and, knowing who it was, she murmured, still in the same position, "I'll be right out. Just give me a minute."

She sighed and didn't hear anything until she felt someone sit down next to her, gently but firmly massaging her shoulders. She leaned back in his touch, exhaling, and Daniel murmured, looking sad himself,

"There had to be a breaking point. I think deep down, we did know that."

He now held her in his arms as she said, her eyes still closed as she snuggled into his chest for comfort, "It makes sense on a logical level... but it doesn't make it any less horrible. I know we were annoyed by their general condescending attitude before..."

He smiled slightly. "Kvasir."

"_Especially_ Kvasir, but now it just doesn't seem right having their knowledge, history and technology..."

He gently rubbed her back. "They want us to have it. They'll never be truly gone." He held her tighter and kissed her forehead, and she finally opened her eyes, seeing the tears in his eyes.

"Oh Daniel..." Touched at him trying to be brave for her, she pulled him into a hug as he rested his head on her shoulder. She kissed his hair and he whispered,

"Let's get back before the General sends Mitchell to look for me."


	21. Chapter 21

In the engine room of the ship, Sam and Thor continued work on installing the Asgard technology, the upset Colonel on the whole maintaining a professional exterior. She asked,

"How long until the disease reaches critical? Maybe I… or even Carolyn could formulate a vaccine… or do something…"

He replied, looking up at her with a neutral expression, "There is nothing that can be done. The disease is incurable and projections show that as the disease takes its course, our cells will degrade and our capacity for intellectual thought will gradually diminish. We wish to be in charge of our own destiny and choose the manner in which we die… and in this way, we will live on in a manner of our choosing too."

After a long pause as she did her best to not start crying then and there, he continued as a schematic appeared on a large view-screen, "If you like, you will be able to interface with the core using a holographic representation of me, or any other Asgard on record in the knowledge base."

"I'm sorry… but that just won't be the same."

Looking hurt, Thor said, attempting to make her feel guilty at her grief so she wouldn't grieve for him as much, "I have been working on this for the better part of a year, Colonel Carter."

She sighed and said, feeling more and more emotional at the prospect of losing the Asgard, especially Thor, "And we appreciate it. Really!"

He continued, glad for once that thousands of years of genetic modification had limited his physiological functions, chiefly an ability to cry, "Many on the Council did not believe we should be imparting such advancements."

She replied, sniffing back tears, "Well… I promise we will do our very best not to let you down." And she meant it. They had come such a long way since they had first encountered the Asgard, and it was an honour in way that the Asgard trusted them enough to bequeath the products of their civilisation to them.

To back up her thoughts, he said, "You are the Fifth Race. Your role is clear. If there is any hope in preserving the future, it lies with you and your people."

She tried and failed to inject some good humour into the situation. "No pressure, huh?"

"You have earned my respect and my friendship." That certainly threw cold water over Jack's repeated assertions that their allies were arrogant and ungrateful, especially if they just so happened to be of a technologically superior race.

She did her best to restrain her emotions. "Well, the feeling's mutual."

His expressions softened on sensing somehow her continued and prolonged grief, touched that she would miss him and his brethren. "Please do not be sad. The end of my people has been a long time coming. We have made too many irreversible mistakes in our development. Hopefully, you can learn something from it. My only regret is that our physical weakness has left us incapable of helping you further."

Touched in turn by his words, shaken to her very core by the chilling sound of regret in his voice, she kneeled and hugged him tightly, whispering sadly, "I don't want you to go."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Knowing that time was short, Daniel strode into his quarters, a man on a mission. He opened a cupboard, pulling out a large case from a high shelf, putting it down on his bed. He quickly dusted the metallic surface before opening it, taking a moment to look at the contents within – what appeared to be a rolled up rug. With a thoughtful expression on his face, he smoothed the fabric with his fingers, and silently wished that the Asgard or the SGC would find a remedy soon, which didn't look very likely.

Sighing, he picked up the rug in his arms and kissed it gently, tears pricking in his eyes and he left his quarters, forcing himself to be strong.

Knowing where Thor would likely be, he made his way to the Odyssey's engine room, finding Sam kneeling on the floor as she hugged the Asgard, Thor's thin arms slowly coming around her as though unsure. He watched, touched as Sam let the Asgard go, smoothing his cheek gently as she said softly,

"I'm going to miss you the most."

Thor replied at almost the same volume, looking sad, "And I will miss you great, Samantha Carter. I have regretted not naming ships after you and Teal'c, but rest assured that had I been capable of sexual reproduction, my progeny would bear your names."

She smiled despite her grief and kissed him on the cheek. They then both looked up on finally noticing Daniel's presence, and Sam looked at the rolled up rug in her boyfriend's arms as she stood up slowly, asking, "Daniel?"

He gazed at her for a moment and then kneeled before the Asgard in her place, saying as he looked at Thor, "Thor… I got you something. I was always waiting for the right time and now…" his voice wavered ever so slightly. "… now there's no time like the present. This is a gift from Earth to the Asgard… to you especially."

He carefully placed the rug in Thor's arms, and the Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet asked, looking down at it, "Many thanks, Daniel Jackson… but what is it?"

As a curious Sam looked on, Daniel, with the same carefulness, unfurled the rug to reveal an intricate Persian design on the surface, Asgard runes woven into the border, with different Earth scripts woven into the main part along with a representation of the solar system. The Asgard, and Sam for that matter, looked stunned and Daniel said softly, gently stroking Thor's cheek,

"Unfortunately, the customs of the people who made it frown on people being represented on fabric or artwork, but… it represents Earth and our friendship with you."

All present were stunned, especially Thor, when a tear rolled down the Asgard's cheek, and he said, looking up at Daniel, "Thank you, Daniel Jackson. Thank you. It is of an aesthetically pleasing design…" He smiled slightly. "It is beautiful." His smile disappeared. "But I cannot accept it. You have evidently put an immense amount of work into this tapestry but… and if I retain it, it will be destroyed."

Daniel shook his head. "It's yours. It was always yours." He took the rug from Thor, wrapping it around the Asgard's frail frame, and he gently kissed him on the forehead. "You have done so much for us… thank you, Thor."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Outside, Daniel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as a means to alleviate his stress, as Sam, her arm around his waist as they walked down a corridor, asked with a concerned expression, "So… that was in your closet?"

He nodded and wrapped his own arm around her waist, and she continued, looking confused, "When did you have it made?"

"Oh… um, there's a rug shop a block from the zoo… The owner felt he owed me a favour 'cos I used to tutor his kids a few years ago."

Surprised, she remarked, "You never told me you were tutoring!"

He shrugged, looking sheepish. "It was nothing." His expression evened out. "I just wish I could have given it to Thor before now."

She kissed him on the cheek. "It's a thoughtful present, Daniel." She smiled briefly. "Jack's face would have been priceless on seeing you kiss Thor."

He chuckled softly, embarrassed as he murmured, "Jack's just narrow-minded in some respects." He sighed. She glanced at him worriedly and said, holding him tighter,

"It'll be ok."

He swallowed past a lump in his throat. "I know. It's just a lot. I don't mean to be sound naïve, but someone… the universe should take note that they're dying… The Ancients could help them somehow instead of letting them die like this. It just seems wrong."

They were startled by Cam's voice from behind them. "Damn right it's wrong, but what are you gonna do?"

They stopped and turned, letting go of each other as the southern Colonel said, looking at Daniel, "Good call on the present, Jackson. Thor's strutting around in his new commander robes as we speak."

He looked at both of them and shrugged. "The best we can hope to do is to keep their legacy alive and not let the universe forget these little guys with the huge brains. Have we heard from Atlantis?"

Sam nodded. "Hermiod already left last week. We just assumed that he would go back again. He didn't say anything about the disease. General Landry's requested that the Expedition be rigorously tested for any contaminants, despite the disease not affecting humans. Also… we're going to have be tested when we get home again."

He nodded in acknowledgement and grimaced. "Fair enough. I'm all for not dying anytime soon." He paused. "How're you guys doing?"

Daniel and Sam exchanged a glance and she replied with a shrug, "As ok as we could be, considering."

Cam nodded, remarking, "T's pissed. He's locked himself in his quarters to kel-no-reem and…" he did an impression of Teal'c. "… reflect on the possibilities of life and death, ColonelMitchell."

Sam and Daniel smiled a little in amusement, the latter saying, "Still needs more bass."

"Well, can't blame a girl for trying… especially when as this time he's not in earshot."

Sam asked, "How's Vala coping?"

"Surprisingly… normal. Normal in that she's wearing T's nerves thin 'cos she's bored."

"Right." She smiled slightly as Daniel began to look exasperated, remembering the birthday party incident, and Cam said, patting them both on the shoulder before walking past them, "I better keep moving otherwise I'll join her in going nuts."

They nodded and after Cam had walked away, looked at each other for a moment before following suit, Sam squeezing Daniel's hand reassuringly.


	22. Chapter 22

As the Odyssey came under attack for the second time from Ori warships, having already destroyed two but coming under heavy fire from others, Cam yelled on learning that the shields were offline, the entire ship rocked by the blasts after the rest of the crew had been beamed down to a nearby planet surface,

"One more hit will take us out!"

Landry in turn yelled over the ship intercom, "Colonel Carter!"

Sam, who had fallen to the floor in the engine room during the previous blasts, struggled to get up. Knowing that it was now or never, she struggled to reach the Asgard control console, activating something.

On the bridge, the crew watched in horror as an Ori ship fired at them, the beam almost in slow-motion as it came towards them, a harbinger of death and destruction. Everyone gaped in shock when the beam suddenly stopped in mid-space, not advancing any further. They all exchanged puzzled looks, and as Cam, getting up, stared at the viewscreen, Landry called, unable to tear his eyes from the spectacle,

"Colonel?"

Sam, getting her breath back at the shock of how close they had all come to impending death and resisting the rising urge to ask of Daniel's welfare, replied over the radio, closing her eyes for a moment, "Briefing room, Sir."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Two weeks into the team's confinement on board the ship following the activation of a time dilation device, Sam, in civilian clothes, was hard at work, knowing that everything depended on her abilities... chiefly her latent ability to pull off the previously impossible or at most highly unlikely. Daniel leaned in the doorway of the engine room, looking increasingly worried on seeing how tightly wound she had become. He also felt guilty at his snippiness since they had been stuck there.

On seeing her shoulders drop dejectedly on hearing from a holographic representation of Thor for the umpteenth time that a function was not possible, he quietly entered the room and said softly, "How about taking a break?"

She shook her head, looking highly tired but determined. "No... I've got to finish this." She turned away from him suddenly and continued working, and he grimaced. He sighed and said, not moving,

"I'm sorry."

She stopped what she was doing and turned to him, surprised at first and then looking sad once again. She shook her head and said quietly,

"The prospect of being stranded here for three months would make anyone snippy."

"That doesn't excuse my behaviour." He wrapped his arms around her from behind, closing his eyes at feeling what he hadn't for the past two weeks, and she slowly melted into his embrace. He whispered, kissing her hair as he gazed down at her,

"I miss you... you can't keep working for days on end... it's not healthy."

"It's not healthy being stuck on this damn... tub."

He asked, gently rubbing her stomach as a means to relieve her tension, "So... how far have you got?"

She sighed. "Since those simulations? Not very. I can't find a way to save the ship and the

knowledge. There's not enough time between deactivating the field and being able to activate phase shifting."

He tenderly nuzzled her neck and whispered, feeling her relax a little more in his embrace, "How about if I do some research for you?" He smiled briefly. "Your Archaeologist can read Asgard almost-fluently by now. I wouldn't last a minute at Asgard Land, Orilla though."

She couldn't help but laugh softly and she turned to gaze up at him. Noticing her drawn features, he caressed her jaw. "Sam... if I do this... do you promise that you'll come back to my quarters to get some sleep?"

She frowned, amused. "Why yours?"

He remarked with a hopeful smile, "I could do with the company again."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Daniel stood in the projection room three months later, determined to help Sam and by extension, their present situation, scrolling through sea after sea of Asgard runes, searching for an answer... or at least the smallest hint to a solution to their dilemma. He sighed dejectedly, frustrated at not finding anything to help Sam, and he closed his eyes before switching the projections off and leaving.

Sighing once again, he went to his quarters, finding Vala sat on his bed, much to his confusion. In reply to the confusion on his face, she said with a shrug, "I'm bored and you seem to be the only interesting thing left on this ship... I've got all I'm getting from watching Cameron and Teal'c beat each other's brains out." She smiled briefly. "If I was still in the game, I would definitely pocket some of the Asgard technology but I wouldn't be able to abscond with the loot considering our present predicament." She grimaced. "Always a disadvantage... life-threatening in most cases."

He shrugged and she asked, concern on her face, "So... how far has Samantha got?"

He shook his head with a tight expression and her face fell. He sighed and paced in front of a bookshelf as he began to talk about the Asgard, letting off steam, "... all they wanted to do was live a little longer. We're no different. Sequence DNA. Cure diseases. One fatal mistake, and they doom their entire race." He paused, looking contemplative as he thought of Sam and their hopes and dreams. "I guess no matter what you do, at the end of the day... life is short."

She replied quietly, "I agree."

Feeling tired and weary, the weeks of confinement catching up with him, he leaned on the bookshelf, taking his glasses off as he rubbed his eyes. As he turned back to her, putting his glasses back on, he gaped in shock and confusion to see her standing, pulling her sweater over her head to reveal a skimpy camisole top.

"What are you doing?"

She looked at him, determined yet shy, "Something we should have done a long time ago."

As he stared, unable to process what was going on, she walked towards him, unbuckling his belt. Snapping out of part of his shock, he grabbed her wrists. Staring at her, this time with the defiance that he had exhibited on so many prior occasions, he said in a level voice,

"Don't do that."

She laughed, thinking that he was only embarrassed. "Why not?" She began to undo his trousers. Not wanting this to go any further, he grabbed her hands, stopping her. He looked her in the eyes for a long moment before pushing her away carefully but firmly, looking stern. Feeling guilty at the situation, feeling somehow that it was his fault, he turned away from her quickly, fastening and rebuckling his trousers as she remarked, hurt,

"We've been here three months, Daniel. _Three months!..._You do like girls?"

He turned back to her, angry at himself mostly as he retorted, "I have a girlfriend."

She gestured expansively. "Yeah...well, I don't see you getting any action any time soon... Samantha's working and I've noticed that you look more and more angry. Surely..."

He spat back. "Surely _nothing_!" He folded his arms across his chest. "I love Sam... I'm in love with her, and nothing or no-one will ever change that! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Taken aback, she said dejectedly, realising a few things, "Unless... unless you really... really don't find me attractive."

He frowned. "Vala, stop it." She turned away, grabbing her sweater as he continued, now seething, "Do you believe that I could have any serious feelings for you?!"

Forcing herself to remain calm, she turned back to him and replied, "I wasn't suggesting that you have _serious_ feelings, Daniel."

He shook his head and stepped closer to her, looking increasingly grim as she looked increasingly scared, having never seen him so angry, "Vala, stop it right now. I am not – repeat – not going to sleep with you. One: I have a girlfriend with whom I am very much in love with. Two:... even if I wasn't with Sam, I wouldn't... because we work together and we're friends and..."

She sat down on the end of his bed, turned away from him as she began to cry silently as he continued, closing his eyes, "This didn't happen, ok?! I'm trying to help Sam... she's been working so hard without a break these past months. The least I can do is help her... I don't need this stress... your constant flirty, sexual innuendos and..." He released an explosive breath. "I'm _not_ interested! I never was! The reason why I never responded before was because I don't have feelings for you!" He hung his head for a moment. "I'm so sorry you're bored or that I'm not more appreciative of your games, but don't pretend that it's anything else."

She nodded, still not looking at him as she continued to cry, and he snapped, "_Don't_ act like you're hurt!"

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath to quell his burning anger and he stormed out, hurt that she, in his eyes, would devalue his relationship with Sam and the feelings that he had for her, by playing with him with that knowledge, and damage any hope that he had had in the alien's abilities to be a fully functional member of SG-1.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Daniel again found Sam working and he frowned in bemusement on seeing a cello behind her. Smiling slightly at the distraction, remembering Sam telling him on one occasion how she had always wanted to learn how to play the instrument, he smoothed the neck with his fingers, feeling the strings and admiring their quality and that of the synthetic rosewood.

Sam glanced back at him and then stopped what she had been doing, allowing herself to smile as she watched him. She said, her voice hoarse from not drinking anything recently,

"I figured I'd have time to finally learn the damn thing."

He turned to her, seeing the pain and tiredness in her features, and he, forgetting his earlier anger, said firmly, "Sam, get up."

Too tired to weary to rebel, much to his dismay, she stood up weakly, and he wrapped his arms around her. As she closed her eyes, relaxing, he kissed her hair and said, worried,

"Right... I'm taking you to the Mess and then we're going to your quarters."

She smiled tiredly. "I do love it when you take charge." She paused in confusion. "Wait... _my_ quarters?"

He grimaced. "Long story."

She struggled to straighten up so she could look at him, and she asked, worried as she touched his jaw, seeing how he was trying to hide a confusion of anger and frustration, "What's wrong?"

He grimaced again and then told her what had happened. He then said, regret in his eyes, "I thought I'd made it clear before... but... I don't know, I guess I could have tried harder... done something to... I could have been nicer as well but she..."

She kissed his cheek. "Daniel, relax... it's not your fault. I'll have a word with her when my vision's back to normal."

Worried even further, he asked, "You can't see?"

She shook her head. "No... I can... it's just a little fuzzy. Cam came in earlier and I couldn't see the angry expression on his face until he was almost next to me..."

He closed his eyes, making a mental note to stop Cam from bugging her. "I'm sorry about that too... I should have stopped him... but you know what..."

She nodded. "I know... he has serious issues with being in the same place for a long time." She sighed. "Did you find anything?"

Frustrated, he replied, shaking his head, "No." He softly kissed her and said, "Come on, you need something to eat and drink." He squeezed her a little tighter and looked shocked. "You've lost a lot of weight."

She retorted with a weak smile, "Well... I always thought I could do with losing a few pounds."


	23. Chapter 23

Vala, in the darkness of her quarters, lay on her bed, curled up in a tight ball as she stared at nothing in particular, feeling a cacophony of conflicting feelings and old pains. She wasn't sure how to feel after her encounter with Daniel, and it had hit her once he had stormed out, that Samantha would find out... and despite the over the top faith the dark-haired woman had in her own abilities, she knew that the Astrophysicist was a highly capable soldier, who could kill her in ten different ways before she could even move a finger.

And then there was the realisation that she truly was on her own, because Cameron was like Samantha's brother in all but blood, and would somehow make her more miserable than he himself was. And then there was Muscles. This could probably give Muscles an excuse to maim her... or give into the sexual tension that she could see between them.

That could be interesting.

She sniffed, feeling highly sorry for herself, and wishing that they weren't stuck aboard the Odyssey... and beginning to wish that she hadn't tried to seduce Daniel. She closed her eyes. She had felt desperate then... and not solely because of their predicament. Since she had been on the quest for Merlin's treasure with him, she had wondered so many times why he had appeared to believe in her abilities and her virtue, despite she proving otherwise on an equal number of occasions, if not more.

Up until now, she had thought it was because he had wanted her. When he had rejected her previous advances, she had surmised that he was just shy and needed encouragement, so she did her best to be subtle... or at least keep it up until he snapped and gave in to her.

And now, it had turned out that he hadn't had those feelings for her... and quite possibly never would. This confused her. She had always been accustomed to men finding her irresistible, a convenience that she had played on heavily during her previous life. It had worked mostly. But when she needed it the most, it hadn't.

Why?

Surely Samantha was nothing compared to her... Samantha, while being a superb soldier and scientist, obviously not as brilliant as her, still cared about what Earth's military establishment thought and followed, mostly, what they ordered her to do.

She, on the other hand, didn't care what others thought... she did what she liked. Daniel appeared to be the same, but why did he still prefer Samantha?

She sighed once again as a childhood memory surfaced for the first time in many years.

A child of many places... the Betelgeuse Plains, the Medusa Cascade, the Forest Moon of Endor, Kelowna, Chulak... fair-haired children had, on the whole, tended to be more popular and later, boys would choose fair-haired girls over her.

She began to cry... truly cry... something which she hadn't done since that lovely if not self-effacing Tok'ra had freed her from Qetesh.

The reason was that she knew that her reasoning was simplistic.

Daniel really did love Samantha... not just because of her winnings from the genetic lottery. Only one man had ever looked at her the way Daniel looked at Samantha – that indescribable look that spoke volumes about the wonders that only he could see – and she couldn't love him. Tomin was a good man, whom she loved very much but not in that way... plus, he had the rather undesirable trait of being on the enemy's side.

Now she knew how he must have felt... to love unconditionally and never be loved back like that.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sam, feeling much better after spending some time with Daniel, kissed him in her quarters as they stood next to the closed door. She smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair and said,

"I won't be long."

He said, looking uncomfortable, "I should be talking to her."

"You can do it later... she's probably embarrassed right now. Cam offered to have a word with her but in his present state, he'll just make her feel worse... and Teal'c gets infuriated by her so easily."

He sighed, resigned. "Ok..." He kissed her tenderly. "Do you want me to stand outside?"

She remarked, amused as she gazed at him, seeing the worry in his eyes and features, "Why, so you can burst in and save the day?" She smiled as she kissed him. "Despite everything, you can be a typical guy sometimes."

Concerned, he said, gently brushing her hair from her face, "Be careful, ok?"

She looked up at him, amused. "Daniel... it's only the next floor down. I'll be fine." He kissed her once again. "I won't be if you keep doing that though."

He smiled slightly as he touched her cheek and he opened the door. She hugged him and then left, feeling his eyes never leaving her as she walked to the lift.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sam, in front of her team-mate's quarters, took a deep breath, expecting herself to be angry but surprised somewhat when she wasn't. She appeared thoughtful as she thought of the reason – she knew that no matter what, Daniel loved her... and nothing would ever change that.

With that knowledge, that feeling of security, she tapped on the door.

Not getting an answer, she quietly opened the door a crack, peeking in as she called softly, "Vala?"

She was about to go when she heard what sounded like shuddering breaths, the sound of someone crying quietly, and she, even more worried than she had been previously, quietly entered the room, closing the door behind her. As the quarters aboard the ship were all pretty much of the same layout and design, she instinctively made her way to where the nightstand was, switching the bedside lamp on.

It was then that she saw Vala's state, much to her further concern.

Sam sat on the edge of the bed and, hesitantly at first, smoothed Vala's dishevelled dark hair. Vala, having not heard or even sensed her, flinched at the contact and instinctively sat up, a semi-emotionless mask on her face. Her face fell on seeing Sam and she looked down at her hands, feeling very, very awkward and embarrassed. She asked quietly,

"What do you want?"

Sam replied with a shrug, still looking concerned, "I'm worried about you... we all are." She paused. "... including Daniel." She watched Vala's eyes close, the dark-haired woman squirming as she said,

"I..." she looked surprised as she finally albeit slowly met Sam's gaze. "... he is?"

Sam nodded. She then said, "Before you say anything, he told me what happened." She appeared grim. "I have to say that I'm very disappointed that you would even try to seduce him. I don't know what belief systems or customs you were exposed to, but here, you can't do that. You're just very lucky that Daniel is a good man. Many other men would have taken advantage and would have taken up your offer and still not loved you." She sighed. "I'm also disappointed because I thought that we were friends, and friends don't do that to each other."

Vala nodded, feeling ashamed as well as awkward and embarrassed, and she said softly, her eyes on her lap, "If it means anything to you, I am sorry, Samantha. It's just that..." she shook her head. "... you wouldn't understand."

Sam shrugged. "Try me."

Vala met her gaze once again, the Colonel seeing the sadness and pain in her eyes. "All my life... my adult life at least, I've been accustomed to men finding me irresistible. That's how I managed for so long, stealing and running... by taking advantage of my natural attributes. Naturally, those men were the types I would never consider for the long term, but... it helped." She paused. "And then I encountered Daniel. Daniel was... is different from all those other men. He actually cared about me... and up until today, I thought that it was perhaps that he was attracted to me. Why else would he believe in me and support me like that?"

Despite everything, Sam smiled. "You really don't know him, do you?" Her smile faded. "Daniel believes in humanity... in humans. He always has... it's just that, of late, his faith has kind of been tainted..." When Vala's face fell, Sam continued, "Not because of you. It's just the Ori and how willing people are to move from being ruled by the Goa'uld, to being ruled by the Ori, and his anger at the Ancients for being unwilling to help... plus, there's all the guilt as well. He can be selfish in his guilt."

Vala nodded, surprised at the insight into Daniel's character, the same Daniel that had never opened up to her, and Sam said softly, looking down at her hands briefly, "It's sad when I think about how much he's changed since I first met him all those years ago. He shouldn't be here, fighting like this. He had a wonderful life on Abydos, even if he couldn't share his ideas with them. He was happy." She blinked back involuntary tears. "Since he lost his wife, he had to change so quickly. He was so determined to find her that he was willing to change who he was, his beliefs and principles gradually over time."

Vala, even more surprised, said, "He never talks about her."

Sam remarked with a humourless smile, looking sad as she considered everything that Daniel had been through, "He still doesn't... well, he does after some encouragement, but he's never been one to be willing to talk about himself. He always cares about others more than himself... willing to sacrifice his own life for someone else. That is one thing that has never changed with him... his selflessness, his unshakeable sense of right and wrong."

Vala asked, looking confused, "Why are you telling me this?"

Sam sighed. "Because... because I want to give you an idea as to why Daniel rejected you. He's a good man. You're a beautiful, intelligent woman, Vala... and you deserve someone who can appreciate that and love you truly. It seems to me that you don't think you're worth it but I think that you are. You've just got to wait for that special person."

Sam hugged Vala, the dark-haired woman saying with a sigh as she rested her chin on the Colonel's shoulder, "I'm sorry. And I'm glad... and grateful that you're not physically harming me."

Sam smiled briefly as she eventually let her team-mate go. "There wouldn't be any point... while I'll admit it would be incredibly gratifying, there would be a war of attrition over Daniel because you didn't know things you needed to know. It's not a competition, you know... one day, someone will come along who will love you and you'll return those feelings."

Vala nodded and Sam asked, smoothing her dark hair again, "Are you ok?"

Vala nodded again, feeling a lot better than she had done. "I am... thanks." She paused for a moment. "How are you coming along with... you know..."

"Oh... not very much. I'm sure I'll think of something soon. I don't think I really helped matters by working without a break."

"If... if you want any help... you know where I am." Vala grimaced. "It's not like I'm moving anywhere."

Sam nodded, and patted her shoulder. "And if you want someone to talk to... you know where I am... for the same reason. Do you want Daniel to talk to you later?"

Vala shook her head. "I'd rather he didn't... I mean, he's still pretty mad at me, I'll bet." Noticing Sam about to object, she shook her head. "I could do with the time to think too."

Sam smiled a little. "Ok... I'll be sure to tell him that. Are you going to be ok?"

"Yeah... I will be." Vala suddenly looked scared. "We are friends... aren't we?"

"Sure... but if you do that again, don't think that I won't do anything about it."

Vala nodded once more, taking in Sam's warning, and the Colonel said, patting her own knees, "Well... I better get back. See you at dinner, ok?"


	24. Chapter 24

Cam walked into the engine room to check on Sam's progress, still feeling antsy about being in a confined space for so long. He hated himself for badgering her like that, but it was something to do other than glare at Vala, spar with Teal'c, play chess with Landry, or even worse, attempt to play chess with Daniel... as rare as the opportunities of the latter were. He was more a Playstation man himself anyhow.

He was about to ask her when he noticed that she appeared sweaty and pale, but working nonetheless with a hologram of Thor. He felt even worse for the pressure he had been putting on her and he made a mental note to back off. He entered the room and asked as he came nearer to her, looking highly concerned,

"Sam?"

Sam replied quietly, concentrating on her work, "I've just got to figure out how to reverse time in a localised field. It's proving rather tricky."

He moved closer. "Sam. Look at me."

The Astrophysicist eventually looked up at him from her seat, and he asked, "When's the last time you went to bed?"

She remarked with a drained smile, "I've already got Daniel on my case about that."

He kneeled in front of her chair. "You look like crap... seriously." He felt her forehead. "You're clammy."

She whispered, turning away from him, "It's nothing."

"Oh, it's not nothing... come on, you're the only one who can get us out of this dilly of a pickle. If you don't look after yourself, we're boned. Jackson doesn't know, does he?"

She hung her head, closing her eyes. "I... I slept in my own quarters this past week. It was too much with him being so nice and me knowing that everything was on my shoulders."

He smoothed her hair back. "Sam... don't be stupid. Take a break... that's an order."

She remarked tiredly, smiling slightly, "We're the same rank."

"Meh. Move it. Scoot. If I find Jackson, I'll throttle him for being too absorbed in those runes."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Daniel, after a verbal sparring with Cam, returned to his quarters, to find Sam in his bed, looking far worse than when he had seen her that morning. Without a second thought, he joined her, holding her tightly against him. It was only then that he realised that she was crying. He gently smoothed her stomach and asked, kissing her neck and her jaw,

"Sam?"

She groaned. "I'm just taking a break."

Even more worried about her condition, and feeling guilty at not having spotted anything earlier, he said, "Sam, look at me."

She slowly turned to face him and he was disturbed to see how pale she had become, how drawn and drained. He asked, kissing her tears away,

"How are you feeling?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I think it's the stress... I've been cramping something rotten and I feel bloated... sick too."

"You didn't say anything."

"I didn't want to worry you... and you'd stop me from working." She groaned again and leapt out of bed to run to the bathroom. Calling her name, he followed her and found her on her knees, being violently sick into the ceramic bowl. He held her, soothing her as she wept, assuring her that she was going to be alright.


	25. Chapter 25

"ColonelCarter, have you not considered the possibility that you are gestating?"

Sam blinked in surprise at the Jaffa's question as she poked at rather than ate her food at the ship's Mess. She shook her head, sadness in her tired eyes, "Teal'c... I'm not a Jaffa. I'm too old to have babies."

Teal'c replied, "A woman among the Tau'ri successfully conceived at the age of sixty-five years."

She smiled slightly, remarking quietly with a touch of sarcasm as she looked down at the table, "Yeah. Thanks."

He reached over the table to hold her hand, leaning closer to her, a note of urgency in his voice. "It is not impossible for you to conceive. The symptoms that you have exhibited resemble those of Drey'auc during her own period of gestation."

She nodded, looking increasingly thoughtful. She turned her hand over to hold his, saying quietly, glancing up at him, "I suppose it's not completely impossible." She paused and met his gaze, looking helpless. "What do I do?"

Knowing that she was now torn between her duties and implications of the new possibility, he smiled slightly at her, "It is an added incentive."

He got up and left the Mess as she sat alone with her thoughts. She pushed away her uneaten food and sighed. She massaged her temples with her fingers as tears began to prick her eyes, the Colonel feeling so alone and even more under pressure.

Some time later, she felt soothing hands on her neck and shoulders, the hands not only relaxing her but reminding her that she really wasn't alone. Sniffing, she leaned back, the back of her head against Daniel's stomach, and she heard him say,

"I did think of it."

She looked up at him. "You didn't say anything."

He raised his eyebrows. "And have you break down? You don't need the stress." She noticed his lip tighten and she got up and hugged him, remembering how he had been after learning of Sha're's pregnancy and then having to leave his step-son for the greater good... twice.

His own arms came around her, holding her tightly, and she whispered, "I don't know what to do, Daniel. Teal'c seems to think that it's a good thing because I'll get us out of here quicker... which, to be honest, isn't surprising. Even he must be tired of beating Cam up."

He kissed her hair. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know. I don't even know how far along I am..." Still holding him, she looked down at her stomach. "It's a life... but..." She looked at him, the Archaeologist seeing the hurt and conflict in her eyes. He whispered in reply as he stroked her cheek, trying to hide his own pain from her,

"Whatever happens... whatever you decide, I'll always be here for you."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't want to have to decide." Tears in his own eyes, he held her tighter against him, closing his eyes as he whispered,

"You're going to get us out of here... there's no doubt about that."

0o0o0o0o0o0

After Sam had managed to put together a pregnancy test from what she could find on-board, she went straight to where Landry was watering some plants, the General wearing a white t-shirt instead of the shirt from his dress blues. She watched her superior officer for a moment, a memory of General Hammond making her smile briefly.

The General looked up finally. "Colonel Carter... I trust you haven't found a solution yet." The quickly concealed desperate glint in his eyes made her wish that she didn't have to come to see him. She bit her lip.

"No, Sir. Not yet. I, uh..." She exhaled and held his gaze. "I have some news Sir... I'm pregnant."

His eyebrows went up and down, and then back up again, almost in slow motion as he processed what she had just told him. He suddenly smiled. "Good one... is Colonel Mitchell that bored that he's hiring prank monkeys?"

She looked momentarily hurt at the term that the General had used, and she shook her head. "No Sir. This is real. I've... I've been experiencing symptoms for several weeks... and a test I MacGyvered proved it... twice."

He sighed, putting his watering can down as he looked at the floor for a moment. "I'll have to admit I considered the possibility too... I've noticed your behaviour has been fluctuating recently and you appear to have put on some weight. Naturally I didn't say anything... and I should have. Unfortunately, I didn't put you, as one of the officers under my command, first. And I am sorry for that."

She shook her head. "There's no need to apologise Sir... the situation's taken a lot out of all of us."

"Well, it's not my responsibility to enquire as to what you and Doctor Jackson do in your spare time but... congratulations. Have you discussed what you are going to do?"

She looked down. "Thanks Sir. We haven't exactly discussed it but there's not much of a choice."

He nodded. "Understood." He paused. "Good luck."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Managing to avoid everyone else, she went back to the engine room to continue her work. She stopped in her tracks on seeing Daniel in her chair, appearing to work with Thor's hologram. She just watched him, stunned, and eventually asked him,

"What are you doing?"

He replied, concentrating on what he was doing, "Uh... helping you out. I think I got somewhere but I need you to check something. How did the MacGyvering go?"

She sighed wearily as she leaned over the back of his chair, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She kissed his neck. "Congratulations, Doctor J."

When he didn't move or say anything, she asked, looking at him, "Daniel?"

He made to get up and she, worried, let him go as he stood up and pulled her into a tight hug. She rested her head on his shoulder as he rubbed her back, and he kissed her.

"Congratulations, Sam."

Surprised at his reaction, she looked at him, noticing the conflict of emotions in his eyes. She touched his jaw and returned his smile when he grinned at her. He kissed her once again, this time while smiling.

"It's amazing."

She looked down for a moment. "I'm sure it is..."

He touched her jaw. "Despite our present situation, the pain and the darkness... some good came from it. A little beam of light. It's more than amazing, Sam."

She remarked wryly, her head on his shoulder again as she kissed his neck, "Easy for you to say." She sighed, closing her eyes. "It's my fault... I should have known that my injections would wear off by now. I... I just... I just didn't think that I could conceive."

He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her as she allowed herself to cry, and he soothed her, whispering, "Hey, hey... it's ok. It really is. You're not going to be alone. If Mitchell pushes you again, I'll break his legs, ok?"

She couldn't help but chuckle, her head still on his shoulder as he smiled down at her, smoothing her cheek. "I'd like to see you do that... I think he would be surprised."

"Ah... well, if all the combat training Jack drilled into me is still there, he could get a few punches to the face too along with some of that unique wit."


	26. Chapter 26

_Lyrics featured are Have You Seen the Rain by CCR. Apologies if this is of a lower standard than previous chapters... managed to get a summer cold and I'm all drippy with writer's block. _

0o0o0o0o0o0

A troubled Landry stood in amongst the plants that he had grown during his and the team's time aboard the ship. The General sighed as he allowed himself to speculate at how much longer they would be in their present predicament... and even whether they would ever leave it. His previously unerring trust in Colonel Carter's abilities had been shaken on learning that she was with child, but deep down, a small part of him held the faith that he had always had.

He thought of Carolyn, and his wife, wondering whether he would ever see either again. It was hard remaining the one figure, other than Teal'c of course, of reason and of stoicism. He felt it his duty to hold it together, to be the General, no matter what.

'A leader is a man who can adapt his principles to circumstances.'

'Pressure creates diamonds.'

'Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.'

As he thought of General Patton, and how _he _would be in the present situation, he smiled slightly. This was no different to the other situations either he or the team had ever been in. Sure, during all those other times, there hadn't been an unborn child in the mix... well, the Colonel's unborn child, but if there was anyone who could pull off the impossible... it was her and the rest of SG-1, with ingenuity that always surprised him and he smiled slightly as he thought, would continue to surprise him.

He took a deep breath as he picked up a watering can. They were going to leave this ship, all of them.

"_Someone told me long ago  
There's a calm before the storm,  
I know  
It's been comin' for some time..."_

Cam, after trashing his quarters for more times than he could count, or wanted to even consider counting, jogged through the corridors of the ship, the itch of being stationary for too long getting to him as it usually did. He forced down his growing urge to throw something else and then completely forgot everything on seeing Vala coming towards him... on roller skates.

He stopped suddenly, surprised and then bemused as she, smiling cheekily, skated towards him. With a wink, she performed a little pirouette, and then she was gone as he stood there, scratching his head.

It was then that he truly realised with an astounding clarity how everyone else was making do with the situation. While he was getting aggravated and itchy at being stationary, everyone else was getting on with their lives, whether as a means to assist Sam or otherwise. The General had taken to gardening; Teal'c sparred but also acted as an emotional support to everyone else when things got too much; Sam, despite being with child, continued to work on a solution while Jackson did his best to help her and be her rock during a most difficult time... and Vala, after trying a whole slew of things to pass the time... like dancing and karaoke, had now taken to roller skating. Where she had got the roller skates to do that was another question.

He was ashamed, to a certain extent, by his own reaction, but none too surprised. He was a pilot. He loved flying... not sitting around waiting for something... anything. He loved going through the 'gate, the thrill of everything... crossing the event horizon and not knowing who or what they could meet... how every 'routine' mission was far from being so.

The thrill of the chase.

Would he ever experience that again?__

"When it's over, so they say,  
It'll rain a sunny day,  
I know  
Shinin' down like water..."

SG-1 and the General met for dinner in the Mess, just like they did for their other meals and breaks. Teal'c watched his friends as they did their best to be upbeat, and for the most, succeeding. ColonelCarter and DanielJackson sat together, the Jaffa not seeing but knowing that DanielJackson was holding his Sim'ka's hand. He smiled slightly as he watched ColonelCarter, laughing at an attempt by ColonelMitchell at humour, smooth her swollen abdomen wherein lie her unborn child. The pressure had been great upon her but she continued to work, as always... and she had support from not only her friends, but DanielJackson too.

Despite the smiles and the laughs, he saw the pain. He knew the pain. The day previously, ColonelCarter had been unfit for work as she worried for the state of her child's health on feeling odd sensations and pains. While he and ColonelMitchell had stayed with her, DanielJackson had continued her work, taking breaks every so often to visit and consult her while ValaMalDoran drove him insane by suggesting the especially impossible with regard to the work that needed to be done.

"... so she's covered in bacon and orange juice an'..."

DanielJackson whispered something into ColonelCarter's ear, the act resulting in both of them laughing, and ColonelMitchell remarked, resulting in everyone else laughing, "You already got her knocked up, Jackson. Stop making the rest of us look bad."

DanielJackson and ColonelCarter momentarily displayed expressions that could only be described as predatory, before joining in with the laughter, as did Teal'c. Life is indeed too short.__

"I want to know, have you ever seen the rain?  
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain  
Comin' down on a sunny day?" 

While Cam sat in the F-302 bay, in an open F-302, trying to feel the thrill of soaring once again, Sam continued to work in the engine room with Teal'c and Daniel watching over her. Looking hopeful as she caught Daniel's eye for a moment, she pressed a button and turned back to a platform to see a series of components appear on a crystalline stand, thanks to the Asgard technology. As she watched, Teal'c picked one up to examine it, and Daniel, standing next to her chair, squeezed her shoulder supportively. _  
_

As they did so, Landry, now wearing an Air Force cardigan over a tie-less shirt, peered out of a window of his makeshift office, looking at the Ori ship, frozen in time, the energy beam of destruction getting a tiny bit closer with each passing day, minute, second. One day, it would be much closer... hopefully the Colonel would have fixed the problem by then but his hope was beginning to wear thin as they all settled in for the long haul.

_  
"Yesterday, and days before,  
Sun is cold and rain is hard,  
I know  
Been that way for all my time..."_

Christmas had rolled by and the team had decided to celebrate it, knowing that it was a good way to break up the monotony. They gathered in the now decorated Mess, around their usual table... although it didn't matter which table as they and the General were the only people aboard. Cam wore a Santa hat and even winked at the General as he held a sprig of mistletoe aloft.

"I'd sooner kiss a Prior. No offence."

"None taken, General. The feeling's mutual."

The cold challenging glint in each other's eyes faded after a moment of guarded fury as the others looked on, worried. Cam then grinned and leaned over the table to kiss Sam, and then sat back down to kiss Vala. Daniel gazed at Sam, holding her hand as he usually did at culinary gatherings, and he reached up with his other hand to gently move fair hair from her face. She smiled at him and leaned her head on his shoulder as he kissed her forehead and then smoothed her bump.

"Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you too. I kinda hoped that this Christmas, we wouldn't be on a mission, but here we are again."

He continued to smooth her bump. "Hmm, we could get lucky one day. How are you feeling?"

She sighed. "Strangely not on edge. This is the least stress I've felt in... I can't even remember." She kissed his neck. "We're so close... so close. I can feel it. I don't want to have our baby on this ship with no medical personnel."

"I can't promise you anything but..." he kissed her hair. "... I'm hoping we'll be home safe before that happens."__

"'til forever, on it goes  
Through the circle, fast and slow,  
I know  
It can't stop, I wonder..."

"That function is not possible."

Sam, having sneaked out of Daniel's quarters while he and the others slept, crept down to the engine room to continue work. So as not to alert a casual passer-by, she kept the lights off as she worked on her laptop and with Thor's hologram. As the minutes grew into hours, she became more and more frustrated, more and more disappointed.

It wasn't going to work.

It had to.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. She was going to do it. It was just tricky.__

"There's a calm before the storm,  
I know  
It's been comin' for some time.

While Cam and Landry played Chess in the General's quarters, the southern Colonel vocalising the differences between being stationary aboard an interstellar ship and flying, Daniel held Sam in his arms on the floor at the foot of their bed as she sobbed her heart out at not getting anywhere lately with her work. Not only that, she hadn't felt her unborn child kick or move in a long while.

Sad too, at everything, he put an arm around her shoulders as she clung onto him. Resting his head against hers, he whispered, "Ssshh, it's ok... it's ok."

Her voice heavy with tears, she asked, frustrated, "How is it ok!? Everything's going to hell... and..." she sobbed, feeling so much emotional pain. "... and... my baby..." She shut her eyes tight as she began to cry again and he hushed her again as her hand moved to rest on his chest.

"It's going to be ok if it isn't already ok. Maybe baby's sleeping."

"For two days?!"

He kissed her gently as he continued to hold her, smoothing her bump as he whispered, "You haven't felt any pain."

He suddenly paused as he felt something beneath his hand and before he could ask, she looked up at him, hopeful, tear tracks on her face. He, overcome with tears as well as relief, gently took her hand and placed it over her abdomen and they both laughed as they felt their baby kicking. Overjoyed, he kissed her and remarked with a grin,

"What did I tell you? Baby takes after Uncle Jack... he or she loves to scare the hell out of us."

As he tenderly dried her eyes, she whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder, "I wish we knew if baby was a 'he' or a 'she', instead of just 'baby' or 'he or she'. It makes..." she grimaced. "... it sound like a hermaphrodite" She smiled as he kissed her.

"We'll know soon enough." She whacked him across the chest, looking indignant. "Hey!"__

"When it's over, so they say,  
It'll rain a sunny day,  
I know  
Shinin' down like water..."

The team met for dinner yet again, the time aboard the ship taking its toll on them even more. Each became more and more aware of time passing and they wondered how much longer they would be there... whether they would ever see Earth again... whether Sam and Daniel's child would be born on its parents' home planet... or on an interstellar craft... whether it would even be born at all.

Sam, trying to hold it all together, sat at the head of the table, Daniel holding her hand as always despite the strain on his and everyone else's faces. Even Vala was looking far from effervescent as she soberly ate her meal, next to a depressed Cam.

They had to get out of this. They needed to.__

"I want to know, have you ever seen the rain?  
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain  
Comin' down on a sunny day?

_Yeah!" _

Sam, wearing her favourite cream sweater, worked in the engine room, like she did most days, Thor's hologram near her.

"That function is not possible."

Feeling mischievous, she switched the hologram off with one press of a button, and she smiled slightly in relief and amusement.

As she did so, Landry looked out of his window yet again, at the Ori ship, and he wondered yet again how he could swear the beam was getting closer. The end line looked further and further away with each passing day, but there was still hope. __

"There's a calm before the storm,  
I know  
It's been comin' for some time..."

Cam, sitting glumly on the end of his bed, got up to open his door on hearing it beep, and saw Vala stood there, no smiles or mischief. They gazed at each other for a long moment, the pain and loneliness clear on their faces, and he kissed her. The kiss grew out of hand and he pulled her into his quarters, and she let him.__

"When it's over, so they say,  
It'll rain a sunny day,  
I know  
Shinin' down like water..."

Teal'c sat in the Mess by himself, looking out of the window at the ship and then at the stars that he had never taken the opportunity to simply observe, the stars his mother had pointed out in the night sky. As he wrapped his fingers thoughtfully around a hot mug of some synthetic beverage, he thought of his son and his daughter-in-law, of his Sim'ka... of the Jaffa's ongoing struggle of which he couldn't be a part of so long as he remained in their present situation.__

"I want to know, have you ever seen the rain?  
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain  
Comin' down on a sunny day?"


	27. Chapter 27

A heavily pregnant Sam sat at the briefing table with the rest of her friends, and Landry, the Astrophysicist looking flushed with excitement for the first time in a long, long while; longer than anyone could coherently remember. As Daniel rested his hand on her thigh, giving her his strong and silent support, she spoke to her friends, hope beginning to glow on all of their faces.

"... I think I may have worked out a way to reverse time in a localised field, and we've still got plenty of power from the ZPM and the power source in the Asgard core to pull it off."

As the others looked increasingly hopeful, Daniel asked in a soft voice, drawing her attention to him, the Archaeologist remaining cautious, "Are you sure? If you had a little more time..."

She shook her head, smiling briefly. "I'm sure, Daniel. We can activate a reverse time field through the Asgard core. Time within this bubble will reverse." She turned back to everyone else, and Vala asked,

"How far back can we go?"

Sam replied with a thoughtful expression as she placed her hand over Daniel's, "Only to the point when the field was created. We can only reverse time here – not for the entire universe. If we go back further, we would be outside normal space-time... which would create a paradox that the technology won't be able to handle."

Daniel nodded and Cam asked, glancing at Landry, "Is that gonna be good enough?"

Sam was about to nod when she suddenly grimaced in pain and closed her eyes, whimpering quietly as her hand reached her abdomen. The others exchanged panicked glances – all except for Teal'c of course – and Cam remarked as they rushed to her aid,

"Oh boy... of all the times..."

Daniel, worried, asked as he kneeled by her side, squeezing her hand as he smoothed her hair back, "Sam?"

Sam shook her head, looking frustrated. "Dammit, no. Not now." She whimpered again, shutting her eyes tight as her body became wracked with painful contractions, Teal'c picking her up in his arms and carrying her straight to the sick bay.

0o0o0o0o0o0

As Cam impatiently and stressfully paced the floor outside of the sick bay, with Teal'c standing guard and Landry seated, Sam lay crying out in pain as Vala held her hand. Daniel, despite his own tumultuous and conflicting feelings, prepared the area for an impending birth, telling himself that it was no different to the other births that he had conducted in the past.

Except that this time it was his child.

Vala, softly speaking words of comfort to Sam, looked up at Daniel, noticing his demeanour, and asked, "Daniel? Do you want some help?"

Daniel shook his head, smiling shakily for a moment as he replied, "No thanks, Vala. I'm ok." He turned away to pull himself together before going to Sam's other side and holding her hand. Standing over her as she gazed up at him through her pain and tears, he said, trying to be brave for her, "It's going to be ok, Sam. I promise." Tears beginning to prick his eyes, he whispered as he kissed her forehead, "I love you."

Sam held his gaze for a moment longer and managed a painful smile before closing her eyes as another contraction hit her. Vala said, looking up at him in worry as she mopped Sam's forehead with a damp flannel,

"Daniel. At least have Cameron here." When Daniel looked to object, she held his gaze a moment longer, not wanting to worry Sam, and the Archaeologist sighed in defeat, knowing that if anything went wrong, Cam had some basic surgery skills... and also that the southern Colonel would most likely be driving his CO and Teal'c up the wall.

After calling Cam in, who looked worried and relieved at the same time, Daniel continued to hold Sam's other hand as Cam timed the contractions, the Archaeologist delegating the task to him in case he started pacing the floor of the sick bay. Sam said quietly, feeling tired already,

"If only I'd solved the problem earlier... I'd be home... we all would."

Not wanting to point out the obvious, that had she solved the problem, history would repeat itself, or that if she had somehow worked out a feasible way to not activate the time dilation field, she wouldn't be pregnant in the first place, he simply squeezed her hand and said, "We're going to get through this, Sam."

She chuckled weakly. "That's my favourite man-line... how could you possibly go through what I'm going through, without some sort of empathy?"

He smiled at her characteristic fighting spirit. "What I mean is that you're not alone. Just hang in there... it'll all be over soon."

She snapped, her eyes closed, "That's what you said forty weeks ago." Cam quietly laughed from where he was leaning, only to quell said laughter when Daniel shot him a deathly glare. Vala smiled in amusement, and then said,

"Well, Daniel's dubious sexual endurance aside... what he means is that you're going to forget all... or most of the pain eventually. With any luck, your child isn't going to go on to launch a crusade on two galaxies. I suppose I should be proud in a way." She sighed wistfully as she remembered the many lost chances she had already had in trying to win her daughter over from the dark side, as Cam frequently referred to the Ori.

Daniel looked at the dark-haired woman for a moment, seeing the conflict in her thoughtful expression, and he began to wonder whether how he felt about Shifu was even remotely the same... not that he would confide in her anytime soon about something that his long-standing friends had difficulty in getting him to talk about. It was easier with Sam because what he had with her was far deeper than anything he had ever shared with Jack, Teal'c and then Cam and Vala.

His thoughts were cut short by Sam clamping down really hard on his hand as she whispered, grimacing in pain, "God, that was... agh!"

Cam, looking at his watch, called, "Getting closer."

Daniel stooped to kiss Sam's hand before going to her other end and taking a peek. He said, trying not to look worried, but completely failing, "I think she's ready."

He looked up at Vala, who, looking concerned, nodded and did her best to comfort Sam, as Daniel encouraged his girlfriend to push, as Cam, watched, fascinated at how classic SG-1, or at least part of it, appeared to be as versatile in any situation, regardless. He watched as Daniel suddenly looked even more concerned, the Archaeologist discreetly waving him over.

Cam, after quickly scrubbing up, casually wandered over as Sam cried out in pain, and Daniel whispered, trying to hold it together all over again, "I think it's a breech. I've never done a breech birth before."

As Vala distracted a suddenly worried Sam, Cam replied with a shrug, determination in his eyes, "Cows and dogs mostly. All the same, we gotta act quick." Daniel stepped aside to let Cam take over as the Colonel got to work. Bending over the gurney, he whispered with a grimace, Daniel stooping next to him,

"Looks like a Frank breech." He glanced at Daniel. "Butt first. It should be alright." Daniel nodded, worried nonetheless, and Cam nodded too, realising that when the Archaeologist didn't move, he wanted to learn. Cam allowed himself to smile briefly at that character trait as he once again got to work.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Many hours later – how many, no-one knew due to the long bout of monotony they had already spent aboard the ship – Cam, looking overcome but professional all the same, held in his arms a screaming baby, its legs bent upwards. He, smiling as he checked the baby over, said when Daniel looked worried as well as excited and shocked,

"Give it a couple of days... those legs'll be normal."

Glancing at a panting Sam, who had closed her eyes again as weariness overwhelmed her, Daniel bit his lip as he contemplated what had happened. Vala, excited, got up to look at the baby as Cam, maintaining eye contact with Daniel, said as he slowly handed the baby over,

"Congratulations, Jackson. Our l'il mooner's a boy."

Daniel looked overcome, tears in his eyes as he held the squirming, bright pink baby in his arms, the child wrapped in a towel. Eventually smiling, he said quietly,

"Thanks, Mitchell. Thank you."

Cam, sensing that Daniel didn't know how to feel, pulled him into a hug over the baby as Vala went to tell Teal'c and Landry, the Archaeologist beginning to cry at being a father... and not only that, a father with little to no preparation due to their predicament. Cam let him go and said, patting him on the shoulder,

"Go on... let Sam see what she's been squeezing out for the best part of a day."

Daniel, now smiling, went to Sam's side and as he held their child in his arms, he bent over her prone form and kissed her forehead as Cam left to give them some privacy. The Archaeologist whispered, tears in his eyes again,

"I'm so proud of you, Sam."

She weakly opened her eyes and asked, "What is it?"

He helped her sit up as he said, carefully giving her the baby, "Baby turned out to be a boy... with Jack's sense of humour."

She held the baby, looking worried as she asked, looking down at the child, "Why was Cam doing it?"

He pushed her hair back from her eyes, his smile gone. "It was a breech... but Mitchell managed it." He opened the towel to show her their son's legs. "They're only like that because he didn't turn in the womb. Mitchell says he'll be fine in a couple of days... they'll straighten out."

She looked down at the baby, still not smiling as she said, worried, "It's my fault. If I'd found the solution sooner, he could have been sorted out at home... I would have had scans, and..."

He gently kissed her. "Sshh, he's alright, Sam. He's ok. He was just mooning us." He hugged his girlfriend over their baby, and he whispered, "You were amazing."

Sniffing back tears as he continued to hold her, she asked, "What am I going to do? It's ironic, isn't it... now that we can go home, I don't think I can."

"Ssshh, we'll work it out later. Just... enjoy the moment."

Hesitantly touching her son's cheek, she shakily smiled, and she, an arm around Daniel's neck, kissed him back, whispering, "You were great too, Daniel." She sighed, resting her head against chest. "What are we going to call him?"

As he let her go, perching on the edge of her gurney, he remarked as he played with her hair, "I was thinking Jacob for a boy but... what do you think of Cameron?"


	28. Chapter 28

_Oh dear... lol. :D I've just realised what you meant, DementedLeaf... Ahem. I think it's the perils of writing Jackson Junior at the same time. Sorry if I came across in the review reply as though I thought you were mad... or madder than usual when you asked when they'd got married. Um. They're not married... it was a major brain-o. Heh._

0o0o0o0o0o0

Daniel sat on his bed in his quarters, his back against the wall at the head of the bed as he held his girlfriend and his son in his arms, as said girlfriend cried herself to sleep. He manoeuvered her carefully so that she was in a reclining position on his bed, still sleeping as he carried their drowsy son to a makeshift cot. As he did so, Sam woke up and, looking increasingly sad, she watched him as he lay the baby down, soothing the infant when he cried.

Daniel, somehow knowing that Sam was awake, murmured, "It's going to be ok. We're going to work out a way to..."

She sniffed, now holding his pillow to her stomach. "No, Daniel. No it won't. Before it would have been ok... well... more ok than this at least. If we go back..."

He turned and went to lay down next to her. "Sam... there's something that's been bugging me about that idea."

She nodded and grimaced. "Well, baby came before I could elaborate." She paused. "If we just go back, we'll be doomed to repeat history... however, if someone were to be excluded from the field, they could steer events in another direction."

He frowned in thought. "But..."

She nodded again. "Got that covered too. A couple of months ago, in the then unlikely event that I would reach a viable solution, I wrote a program that separates the Asgard core from the hyperdrive controls far quicker than I can do it manually. If I put that onto a crystal, it would only take me a few seconds to shut down the core and make the jump into hyperspace, thus negating the..." she closed her eyes as her voice began to wobble. "... negating the need to activate this damn field. It will mean that this entire year would never have happened. I don't think I can do it... but I have to. It's the only way."

Noticing something in her eyes, a grim acceptance and determination, he said, touching her cheek, "Let me do it."

She shook her head as she rested it against his chest, his fingers slowly running through her hair. "No... no, Daniel. It makes sense for it to be me..." She sniffed. "Can we talk about this later? I don't want to talk about it now."

He nodded as he kissed her hair, a worried thoughtful expression on his face. As she began to drift off again against his chest, his eyes moved from her to their baby, and he wondered if there was another way.

0o0o0o0o0o0

"Who says it's got to be you?"

A weary Sam, now seated in the briefing room, a blanket over her tired form, said, resting her head back against the chair, "Cam. No. It's the only logical path."

Cam sighed as he rested his elbows on the table, a defensive fury in his eyes. "What kind of logic dictates that someone who's just given birth..."

"Why has it got to be you?"

"Because... because I'm technically your CO. As the superior officer, next to the General of course, it is my responsibility to not allow any of you to risk your lives unnecessarily. I am the highest ranking officer with the appropriate level of fitness..."

Landry remarked with a huff, not completely happy of being reminded of his age and declining level of fitness, "Nice."

Cam glanced at him and continued, "... and it is my duty to do this. After all, you're the one who turned this damn thing on in the first place, which means that if you go back, there's a major paradox going on."

Sam looked thoughtful, and Teal'c said, startling everyone with his sudden input, "We have resided for a whole year aboard this ship..." before he could continue, Vala bounced in her seat, putting her hand up as she said,

"It should be me." She looked sad. "I'll admit that I was rather annoying to begin with and perhaps I could return with my wonderful character development and charm Cameron." She winked at Cam who eventually smiled briefly before shaking his head and objecting.

"Nuh-uh, Vala. I've got to do it."

Teal'c cleared his throat, the sound startling everyone in his vicinity due to a well-known supposition that the sound alone could wake the dead. The Jaffa said, raising an eyebrow for a moment to silence Daniel who was about to speak. "As I was about to say..." he looked at a sheepish Vala briefly. "... we have resided for a whole year aboard this ship. A year for each of you is a long time, but for me, it is not long at all. It is almost inconsequential. Therefore, I wish to volunteer for this task." He smiled slightly at Sam. "And your son will accompany me. That is the only logical choice."

Sam and Daniel exchanged a glance and the latter said before Sam could object, "No, Teal'c. I'll do it."

Teal'c shook his head and then asked a now tearful Sam. "If this should fail..."

Sam, in vain, sniffed back more tears as she said, her voice wavering with emotion as a perturbed Daniel and a confused Cam held her hands, "Then you'll be stuck here forever with the rest of us."

Teal'c nodded in grim determination. "Then it is settled."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Prior to the implementation of the plan, Sam, in a wheelchair, wheeled to Teal'c's quarters, nodding in greeting as Landry, Cam and then Vala left the Jaffa's quarters. Teal'c nodded with a small smile on seeing her and said as he pushed her chair,

"Let us walk, ColonelCarter."

Teal'c pushed Sam's wheelchair in silence through the ship, taking the longer than necessary route to the ship's Mess. When they had reached his intended destination, he positioned her wheelchair next to a table as he sat down, and she said, looking thoughtful as she held his hands,

"Teal'c. I can't let you do this. You've lost just as much time as we have."

He smiled slightly again. "But for me, the time is inconsequential." His smile faded. "It will give you time to give Cameron a brother or a sister."

She looked down, closing her eyes as she thought of her age and he touched her cheek tenderly. She eventually met his gaze again and said in a choked whisper, "Thank you Teal'c but..."

"There is no requirement for a grammatical conjunction. The matter is settled."

As he continued to caress her cheek, she leaned into his touch and said softly, "But we won't know him. It breaks my heart to think that I won't know my own son. He won't be my son any more."

"He will always be your son, ColonelCarter. That will not change... and I am sure that you and DanielJackson will take care of him no matter what."

He slowly moved his hand as he asked, "Do you still wish for me to request your past selves to change your son's name?"

She nodded and smiled sadly. "Cam doesn't like it. Apparently he wants to be much older... or dead before someone names another life after him. Daniel and I were already thinking of naming him after my Dad."

He smiled. "That would indeed be an honourable name for your son. Any Jaffa would be honoured to have such a formidable forefather as JacobCarter."

She sniffed and smiled again. "Thanks, Teal'c."

He squeezed her hands, his smile gone and his eyes intense. "And I am honoured that you would entrust me with the welfare of your son. I assure you that I will put his wellbeing above my own."

She shook her head. "Teal'c..."

"Do not object... Samantha. Your son is a sign of hope. He has shown us all that despite the darkest, most dangerous venture, there is always hope and a solution." He smiled briefly. "It is something that I have come to forget during our struggle with the Ori."

0o0o0o0o0o0

In the engine room of the Odyssey, as Teal'c held a calm Cameron in his arms, Sam, trying her best to be brave, gave Teal'c a crystal containing a program that could quite possibly save the ship from the Ori blast. He gently touched her cheek and then hugged her tight as she began to cry. With Teal'c's arm around her, and her own around him, she looked down at her son and touched his cheek as he squirmed. She whispered, kissing his forehead,

"Whatever happens... we'll always be with you. I love you."

A sad Daniel gently guided her back to her wheelchair as Landry, Cam and Vala said their own farewells, the Archaeologist kneeling next to his girlfriend as he held her hand tightly. When at last they had finished, they all looked at him as he stood up, little to no emotion on his face as he walked towards Teal'c. Teal'c hugged him strongly as the Archaeologist's emotional walls began to crack, raw emotion engulfing his face as he began to tremble.

As a worried Vala did her best to comfort him, he looked down at his son and, now openly crying, whispered as he touched the boy's face, "I love you. I'm so sorry." Sam, in tears too, got up to hug him as he rested his head against hers, shaking uncontrollably.

Near a window, Cam and Vala stood opposite each other, gazing at each other sadly. The Colonel kissed her gently. "I just want you to know... even if you're not gonna remember when all this is done, I wasn't with you because we were stuck on this damn tub. I was with you because..." his lip trembled as he struggled to tell her the words that he had longed to tell her for months.

She returned his kiss, hurt and hope battling for priority in her eyes. "You don't have to say it, Cameron. I know. I've always known. And I want you to know..."

He pulled her tight against him as she began to cry, his chin against her hair as he looked overwhelmingly sad. "I know, baby... I know. I don't know what's going to happen in the new timeline, but I want you to know too that if I had a choice, I wouldn't forget one moment... well, I would forget all the craziness and boredom... but I would never choose to forget you... not one second." He held her tighter, tears in his own eyes as she trembled in his arms.

0o0o0o0o0o0

On receiving a nod from ColonelCarter, Teal'c, in the engine room, holding the crystal and the baby, squeezed an Asgard device that he held. Almost instantaneously, a field formed around him, shielding him and the baby from the effects of what was to come. Moments later, as DanielJackson wrapped his arms around her, his chin resting on her shoulder, Sam pushed the smooth creamy coloured control device across the Asgard console, the console lighting up.

From where Teal'c stood, as ColonelMitchell and ValaMalDoran held hands, and ColonelCarter and DanielJackson kissed, he watched as everything paused for a moment and then slowly began to rewind all around him. Sadness in his eyes for brief moments, he watched the entire year in reverse and hoped that the plan would succeed.

Eventually, everything stopped and he saw a much different looking ColonelCarter bent over the Asgard console, the Colonel wearing black BDUs, with ValaMalDoran near her. He steadied himself as a blast rocked their surroundings, the infant thankfully not crying as ColonelCarter and ValaMalDoran were thrown to the floor by the impact, and as he heard GeneralLandry call over the radio, he quickly made his way to ColonelCarter as she struggled to get up.

She was about to activate the time dilation field when he grabbed her hand. She looked up in surprise, highly confused at his intense expression and the baby that he held in his other arm, and she asked as ValaMalDoran remained speechless for once,

"Teal'c, what are you doing?"

He regarded her grimly and then said, giving her the crystal, "Here is a program to separate the Asgard core from the hyper drive controls. Do not ask questions. Use it."

She, seeing something in his eyes, chiefly that he was not delusional, nodded and took the crystal from him as he soothed the now crying baby. ValaMalDoran asked, looking utterly flummoxed,

"Muscles... where did the baby come from?"

As ColonelCarter stared at the contents of the crystal on her screen in amazement before quickly shaking herself and getting down to work, Teal'c replied, "I will answer all questions later. For now, ValaMalDoran, remain quiet."


	29. Chapter 29

"You still haven't answered the question, Teal'c. Whose baby is it, and where did it come from? How did it get onto my ship?"

Teal'c replied, his face emotionless as he cradled the baby in the briefing room of the ship, the Odyssey now having leapt safely into hyper space, "That is three questions, GeneralLandry. Which question are you referring to?"

The General looked exasperated and he looked up at Sam, Daniel, Cam and Vala as they stood against the wall, watching the proceedings with interest, and he asked, "Is he always like this?"

All but Daniel shrugged, three members of SG-1 looking at the Archaeologist, who replied with a shrug of his own, "Pretty much, Sir. And with all respect, he does have a point." Daniel frowned as his gaze moved back to the almost surreal sight of Teal'c holding a tiny baby... a fair-haired baby at that.

Landry raised his eyebrows briefly and then rested his elbows on the table. He said in a careful tone of voice that, had Jack been present, the Major-General would have warned them all to 'cut the crap' to escape potentially dire consequences,

"Teal'c... who is the baby?"

Teal'c nodded and then looked down at the baby. He smiled slightly as he touched the baby's cheek and he replied quietly, eventually looking at a puzzled Sam and Daniel,

"His name is to be decided by his parents."

Landry, and then Cam and Vala stared at Daniel and Sam, who both looked confused, and Sam asked, "Who are his parents, Teal'c?"

As an audience of curious ship personnel gathered outside of the door to listen in, Teal'c replied with a faint smirk, "Yourself and DanielJackson."

The answer had the effect of stunning all present, including Daniel and Sam, who stared at each other, then the Archaeologist asked with a frown, raising a finger, "W-wait a second. You mean to say that that is our baby from an alternate timeline?"

Teal'c stood up and stared at Daniel coldly. "He is your baby, regardless, DanielJackson."

Daniel, as shocked as Sam, struggled to sit down as the rest of their team mates wondered whether there could be anything more shocking to top that revelation short of the General revealing a penchant for ladies' clothing. Sam whispered, horrified as she covered her mouth with her hands in shock,

"Oh God."

She put her hand on Daniel's shoulder, the Archaeologist looking up at her briefly before holding her hand as he looked tired, shocked to the core, "Well... it shouldn't be that much of a surprise considering where you've just come from Teal'c..."

Cam interrupted. "A story would be good..." the Colonel grinned, beginning to enjoy the situation more than he should. "... Uncle Teal'c."

0o0o0o0o0o0

An inwardly amused Landry nodded at Cam and Vala, the three leaving the room once Teal'c had explained everything that had happened, omitting certain details such as what Cam and Vala had got up to during that alternate timeline, and answering a lot of questions.

Sam, sitting next to Daniel, squeezed his hand, and when he looked at her, his glasses on the table, she said, unsure of how to feel, "We wouldn't have sent him back if we didn't think that we'd take care of him."

Daniel gazed at her, trying to work out how to feel, how to deal with the situation, when Teal'c said, almost making them jump, "It was indeed a difficult decision for you to part with your child, and I admire you for that."

Sam said, finally tearing her gaze from Daniel's, "But he isn't ours... he's someone else's. Technically, he hasn't even been born yet."

She looked down, feeling Daniel stroke the hand that he held with his thumb, and Teal'c replied, having already expected their reactions, "He shares both of your chromosomes. The Samantha Carter that gave birth to him was only a year older than you. We were all incarcerated aboard this ship for a year from the moment when you had activated the time dilation field. By giving you the crystal and allowing you to do what you have now done, it equates to proceeding via a different route through time."

Daniel and Sam looking thoughtful as well as perturbed, and Teal'c got up. They got up too and the Jaffa joined them, carefully giving the baby to a stunned Sam, who began to get more than a little tearful as she held the little life in her arms. She looked up at Teal'c, who said with a little smile,

"You are going to be wonderful mother, Samantha."

And with that, he left the room, Daniel and Sam watching him leave, and then Daniel looked at her, a sea of emotions on his face as well as hers. She remarked, her voice hoarse,

"I... I don't know what to do. All those years of training and missions, and this is the one thing that we didn't cover."

His eyes moist, he hugged her over the baby, and whispered as he kissed her, gazing down at the baby, "Well... each time we've been faced with a new situation, how have we managed to overcome it? We just went ahead and got on with things."

She asked, looking at him, scared, "Do you think we can do it this time?"

He remarked with a slight smile, still looking scared, "Well..." he swallowed. "... two fifths of SG-1. What do you think?" They kissed and she gave the baby to him, noticing the wistfulness that appeared on his face for prolonged moments, and she watched him hold their son in his arms. Suddenly he smiled, and he looked up at her,

"We're parents."

She nodded, overcome too, and he whispered, hesitantly kissing the baby on the forehead, "What do you want to name him? Apparently future-Mitchell doesn't like Cameron."

Her arm around his waist as she marvelled at the infant, she replied, her head on his shoulder, "What do you think of Jacob? Teal'c seems to be rather taken with it."

He smiled. "He's right... there's no better name for our son. I've thought about it before but..." he closed his eyes briefly, calming himself. "... I never for one moment thought that we would get the time to start making babies."

She kissed his jaw. "And I thought I was getting too old."

Holding the baby in one arm, his other arm around his girlfriend, he replied as he stroked her waist, "There is no such thing as being too old." She picked his glasses up and he said softly, gazing down at the squirming baby,

"We've got a week 'til we get home. I say we get accustomed to being parents... although I suspect it's going to take far longer than a single week."

0o0o0o0o0o0

On the floor of Daniel's quarters, as the Archaeologist, with his girlfriend's help, opened Jacob's blanket to change his nappy, the infant red-faced and screaming, they exchanged a confused look on finding a smaller blue control crystal tucked into the back of the child's nappy. Grimacing on realising how much pain the baby must have been in when they'd laid him down, Sam smoothed his fair hair as Daniel kissed his forehead, whispering,

"Sorry."

Daniel gave her the crystal and she, gazing at it for a moment, put it into her pocket and continued to help him. As she watched, half-surprised that he appeared to know what he was doing, she said, the situation still not sinking in completely, "You've thought about us having children."

He nodded, forcing himself to concentrate on what he was doing unless he broke down. "Yes. Not seriously though..." He allowed himself to smile slightly as he examined his son's legs which were now almost totally normal. He then looked at her with that same smile. "A little girl with her mother's eyes and staggering intellect."

Sam looked down shyly. "I thought about it too, I must admit... you've got nice eyes."

He touched her cheek as he gazed at her lovingly, and she met his gaze. He said, "We would have been great parents."

She nodded, a hint of sadness in her eyes and then she looked down at her son on the floor, watching him stare into the middle-distance, looking very calm now that his father had changed his nappy. She smoothed his fine fair hair and remarked, glancing at Daniel again, this time smirking,

"General O'Neill's face when we get home."

He smiled at her as he bagged the soiled nappy, replying with a shrug, "Well... it's ours, not his..." His smile widened. "If it's anything like the time I told him that Mitchell assumed he knew all about shiners because of his Irish heritage, it could be YouTube worthy."

She chuckled and picked Jacob up in her arms, gazing down at him with a gentle smile as Daniel left to dispose of the old nappy, and she whispered, now feeling a strange attachment to the baby, the attachment feeling much stronger than the one she already felt for Cassie,

"We're going home, baby."

She kissed his forehead as his eyes closed, and she wondered as Daniel watched her, fascinated, how good a mother her future self must have been, and how hard it must have been to give her son away.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile, Vala, in Teal'c's quarters, paced the floor, excited at the prospect of what could have been during the year that now only he could remember. As he blew out various candles around the room, she made wild guesses at what could have happened.

"Oh, come on, it's driving me insane! You know, technically, there would be no danger of creating a time paradox, because we've already changed future events. You would not be altering the future by telling us about something that's not going to happen any more!"

He replied, an eyebrow fighting for real estate on his forehead, "Then why do you care?"

She remarked, unable to comprehend why he couldn't understand how exciting it was for her at least, "A whole year? Somethinginteresting _must_ have happened. Obviously I hooked up with someone while Daniel and Samantha were doing the wild thing and working on a way to do what they did."

He smiled enigmatically as he blew out the next candle, wanting to know whether the words he had eavesdropped before the big rewind had been true, whether or not Cam needed a time dilation field and being stranded aboard a ship to tell her how he felt. For that reason, he couldn't tell anyone about what else had happened unless it influenced what could happen.

She noticed the smile. "Was it you, Muscles? It can't have been Cameron... can it? General Landry? Hmm... what about Daniel?"

He walked out of the room, resigning himself now to the fact that she wasn't going to let it go unless she got distracted by something shinier, and she followed, still excitedly talking, still throwing up more scenarios. "I know! It was all the boys... and Thor's hologram! It was, wasn't it?... Muscles?"


	30. Chapter 30

In the engine room of the ship, Sam stared at the computer screen before her in outright surprise, murmuring, unable to tear her eyes from what she was seeing, "My God..."

Cam, who had been perching nearby, immediately straightened up and asked, worried, "Sam?"

She shook her head, pressing her lips together as she tried very hard not to cry. Noticing this, he asked, "Do you want me to get Jackson?"

She shook her head again and said, eventually looking up at him, "The 'us' from the future really did plan for everything... well, the 'me' at least." She sighed, and he asked, curious too,

"What?"

She stood up and replied as she, feeling highly overcome, left the engine room, "I can breast feed Jake now."

The southern Colonel stood and stared, awkward at first, but then surprised. He eventually chased her and asked as she stopped again, her back to him out in the corridor, "Wait. That's impossible. You can't... you're not his Mom... well..." he gestured awkwardly. "... you are but you didn't give birth to him." He looked away out of embarrassment, and she replied, turning back to him,

"That other Sam had time to fiddle with the Asgard tech and burn that crystal."

Noticing the sadness in her eyes as she turned away again, he asked, worried again, "Are you ok?"

She nodded and said, her voice beginning to show signs of strain, "I've got to tell Daniel."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Daniel held Sam in his arms as they sat on his bed, a dozing Jacob in her arms. The Archaeologist asked, kissing her neck as he became even more worried about her, "Sam?"

She shook her head, and he sighed. "Look... it's a good thing, right? It means you can feed him the milk he's supposed to have rather than the cow's milk from the Mess. It'll be easier on his stomach and he'll have your antibodies."

She shook her head again, whispering as tears filled her eyes, the Colonel looking down at their son, "You don't understand, do you Daniel? Breastfeeding is how a mother and child first bond. For that other me to surrender something as personal as that... it... it's sad. She knew she had to give him up, and that's hard enough, but to know that your child is going to fed by another woman... even if I'm just a slightly younger version of her..." She released a shuddering breath and kissed Jacob on the forehead, whispering to the boy,

"I'll do my best, Jake."

Daniel added, resting his chin on Sam's shoulder as he gazed down at the baby too, "Me too."

His gaze moved to hers. "He's still our son and it's only right... I know it's sad, but think about it... if you had to do what they did, you would do the same thing, wouldn't you? No matter how much it hurt, you would have done the best... for his sake." He kissed her. "And you managed to save us and the ship. Only you could do it while having to go through a pregnancy." She reached back to swat his shoulder, now smiling again, and she said with a sigh, leaning back in his embrace,

"We're going to be ok, aren't we?"

He nodded. "Of course we are." His smile faded as he thought of the war. "We always are." His head resting against hers, he asked, glancing at her, "So... are you going to wait 'til we get home to make the device so it can be tested properly or...?"

She shrugged. "It'll be less embarrassing if I do it here... I'm sure the General will understand although we haven't been able to work with the technology much other than the core and the program that Teal'c gave me."

0o0o0o0o0o0

After briefing the General, and then spending a few hours working in the engine room with only Daniel and Jacob for company, Sam held in her hand a smooth round silver coloured device, resembling a pebble. She looked up at Daniel, now a little scared, and he said as he looked down at the device in wonder,

"You might... um... want to try that with a little more privacy."

She nodded and gave him the device, the Archaeologist giving her the baby, and they left for his quarters again, Sam saying quietly, glancing at him, "If this goes wrong..."

He smiled briefly. "It won't... you made it."

She looked ahead of her, looking sceptical. "Daniel. I'm not perfect."

He slipped an arm around and kissed her, quickly dropping his arm when some of the ship's crew walked past in guarded amusement. "You are to me."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Sam gasped, now crying as she held her son to her breast in Daniel's quarters as she rested on his bed, the baby beginning to feed. She glanced at Daniel next to her, seeing the emotion on his face, and he kissed her tenderly, remarking shakily,

"What did I tell you?"

Sniffing back more tears, she touched Jacob's cheek with a finger, watching him looking so peaceful, a tiny hand on her breast. Closing her eyes briefly, she leaned against Daniel as he slipped an arm around her shoulders, and she murmured as they both gazed down at the baby,

"We've got to get Carolyn to check me out when we get home... find out what the device did to me."

He smiled, kissing her hair. "There was I thinking that Thor didn't have boobs."

She laughed softly. "I... or rather that other me created it, which means that it isn't on the Asgard extant technology list although... she must have got the idea from somewhere."

He sighed, smiling again as he remarked, "Who's going to tell Jack about this?"

Her smile immediately vanished as she looked at him. "Do we have to tell him?"

He shrugged. "Well he is the head of Homeworld Security... which makes him General Landry's boss... which in turn necessitates him knowing of everything that goes out and comes through the 'gate..." noticing her looking ready to point out a flaw in what he had just said, he feigned innocence. "... which is how we met the Asgard... and this by extension belongs to the Asgard."

When he couldn't help but smile again, she whacked him, saying as she looked embarrassed, "I hate you. You just want to see the look on his face."

"As do you."

"Not about my boobs. I meant about Jake." She sighed. "We could just put the boob thing in a report or something... you know how he _always _reads them diligently." They laughed. "I'm sure General Landry doesn't want to have to talk about that sort of thing."

He nodded. "Well then." He smirked as she met his gaze again with a smirk of her own, "That leaves _Uncle _Jack. How much higher do you think those eyebrows are going to go?"

"Tape measure?"

"I knew I'd love you."


	31. Chapter 31

_Hey Dezrai – thanks for your review – replied to it in another review. :o)_

0o0o0o0o0o0

Jack, feeling a bit itchy at being left behind yet again during the action, waited in the control room at the SGC, waiting for word from the Odyssey. He had hated being too busy to join the team, but reasoned that perhaps it would be a big security risk to have both him and Landry up in space like that. Maybe he should have gone in Landry's place – after all, he knew Thor way better than that guy had ever done.

But still. Someone had to be in charge around the SGC.

He exhaled for at least the hundredth time as he stopped in his pacing of the control room floor. Each time he stopped, Walter said, the General wondering not for the first time whether the Sergeant actually had psychic powers,

"No word from the ship yet, Sir."

Several hours, and several more paces of the now worn floor of the control room later, a beeping of the consoles in front of Walter startled both men, the General stopping as he stared at the source of the noise. Walter almost smiled in relief as he said, holding his headset to his ear as he glanced up at Jack,

"Sir, it's the Odyssey."

Jack remarked, still feeling itchy, "Well... put 'em on."

Walter nodded and a few moments later they heard Landry crackling over the speakers, Walter murmuring, "Odyssey is in orbit, Sir."

Landry said dryly, "I hope you haven't worn out my floor, Jack."

Jack remarked nonchalantly, "About that..." He paused. "How's things?"

Landry took a moment to reply. "Long story as always. Six to beam down."

"I see you've taken my advice about the Star Trek references... it helps you know."

"Yes it does, Captain Kirk."

"I'd rather be him than some random Admiral... or Picard. Man, that guy was snooty."

Jack cleared his throat and patted Walter on the shoulder, the Sergeant pressing some buttons. A few moments later, SG-1 and Landry appeared in the gateroom below in a flash of white light... and Jack's relieved almost-grin turned into a bemused expression on seeing Carter holding a baby.

Ok.

Long story indeed.

0o0o0o0o0o0

In the gateroom, Jack ran down to greet them, seeing Daniel, Vala and Cam looking down at the baby as Teal'c stood stoically, with Landry looking pretty much lost as Sam looked up at the new arrival. Jack remarked, confused,

"Hank... you're losing it... this is seven." He paused. "You found a refugee on Orilla?"

Sam shook her head and Daniel replied, looking up at him, the old General noticing something very different about him, "No... it's a very long story, Jack... but well worth the hearing."

Teal'c added with a small smile as he glanced at Cam and then Vala as they began to look confused at the umpteenth time he had done that, "Indeed."

0o0o0o0o0o0

As Carolyn ran tests on the baby as well as Sam, Jack listened in the observation room of the Infirmary, as opposed to the briefing room, as Landry and the rest of SG-1 briefed him on what had happened. The old General's eyebrows rose higher and higher, and eventually he remarked, looking at a now awkward looking Daniel,

"So you two did the wild thing and made a kiddy and then forgot about it? That must have been some orgy."

Vala, bouncing in excitement, said, nudging Teal'c, "I told you, Muscles. Even Jack's guessed it. There was a rampant sexual orgy with Thor's hologram."

Landry cleared his throat, embarrassed and annoyed as he got up and said, weary, "Let me know what happens." He left the observation room as Jack remarked to the dark-haired alien, feigning exasperation,

"Come on Vala, you know what talk of holograms does to him..." He then stage-whispered, "Gives him the horn big time."

As Vala was left to ponder the semantics and meaning of what he had just said, Jack turned back to Daniel and asked, now feeling increasingly amused as each minute passed, "Well?"

Cam interrupted, looking highly amused himself. "They don't remember 'cos they technically didn't do it, Sir... well, they didn't do it in a way to get a kid."

Jack grimaced. "Mitchell... need to know. Honestly. I don't want to know what these two get up to so long as it doesn't affect missions and whatnot."

Teal'c simply smirked, making the General grimace more, and he glanced down at the Infirmary, at the curtained off section behind which Sam was being tested. "So... why is your unofficial missus being checked out?"

The others suddenly looked awkward, and Daniel murmured, highly embarrassed once again yet worried for Sam as well as their son, "Not for me to say."

Jack peered at the Archaeologist. "You can't have given her an STI if you're still here... or maybe you're next. Tsk, tsk... did I not teach you anything? Always go into a situation prepared."

Daniel, annoyed as well as embarrassed, got up and walked out as Cam said, looking at the General cautiously, "Sir... with all respect, that was low... even for you."

Jack looked through the glass, worried, seeing Daniel taking a seat opposite the curtain, and he left too as Cam glanced at Teal'c, who glanced at him and Vala before smirking and leaving too.

Cam looked at Vala sat next to him and remarked, "What's up with T-man giving us those weird smirks?"

Vala shrugged, and glanced back at him. She eventually smiled as she looked through the glass, figuring it out, and Cam, confused, looked at her. "What?"

She looked back at him again, still smiling mysteriously. "Nothing."

She chuckled softly as she looked through the window again.

"You know." He glared at her accusingly.

"I've figured it out... and I'm somewhat pleased to tell you the truth. It looks like you didn't spend the entire year _freaking_ out."

She got up to leave but he got up quickly, stepping in front of her in the doorway, blocking her with his body. She looked up at him, scared on seeing the fury in his eyes mixed in with something indefinable. He said, not looking too impressed,

"I spent that year with you? Tell me that that's not true. Could that _be_ any more disgusting?"

Hurt, she looked away from him, and he continued, "Why you? Even I wouldn't be that desperate."

Angry, he stepped aside and she, tears in her eyes quickly left as he gradually began to feel like a big idiot. He closed his eyes, hitting his head back against the wall as he murmured over and over,

"Idiot."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile, Jack slowly made his way back into the Infirmary, to... well... he wasn't sure what he was doing. He'd never had to apologise for anything in his life... or at least he tried not to. It made life a lot more interesting when you didn't have to keep tidying up after yourself.

That had mostly been Daniel's job on SG-1 when he had been team lead.

He grimaced.

He'd screwed up.

Sighing quietly, he picked up a chair and planted it right next to a brooding Daniel's. Daniel looked up and said, now looking tired, "Jack, I don't want to talk to you right now."

Jack sat down heavily. "Neither do I but I gotta talk to someone." He glanced at Daniel, seeing the younger man fiddle with his hands. "Look... what I said..."

Daniel nodded. "I know, Jack." He sighed. "I'm just on edge about it... I mean, I'm suddenly a Dad and I don't know what to do. Sam and I have just got comfortable together... and this, I hate to say, is like a spanner in the works. I'm happy but... it's just more change, and I don't think we're ready for it... or even if we'd make good parents. Well, I know Sam would make a great Mom... but me... I've never been a Dad before. What if Jake doesn't like me? What if he..."

Jack put a consoling hand on Daniel's shoulder, identifying somewhat with his friend's feelings. "Hey. I know what it's like... somewhat. I know what you're going through. But you know what? No-one's born a good Dad... you have to work at it, you have to learn." He smiled slightly. "And you are gonna rock, I know it. Try not to think about it all. True, only you... and Carter could manage to get your asses in this sort of situation, but hey... you've experienced unplanned situations before and kicked ass... this is just something else."

Daniel nodded, looking down at his hands. "Thanks Jack."

"Any time, Space Monkey." He looked mildly curious. "So... what's up with Carter?"

"I can't tell you. Sam would kill me."

Jack smiled slightly again. "Ah... blaming the unofficial missus again for a threat of the impossible... wait 'til she hears it." He paused. "Why didn't you name your first born Jack then?"

Daniel shrugged as he began to smile again. "Teal'c was rather taken with Jacob... he was originally going to be Cameron because Mitchell brought him into the world... or ship, although I think Frank would have been more apt because of the nature of the birth, but..." he smiled properly as he looked at Jack. "I'm finally a Dad."

Jack's smile faded as he thought of Charlie. "Yeah. Best feeling in the world, believe me."

Daniel looked at Jack, concerned. "Jack..."

Jack shook his head as he got up to leave the Infirmary. "No, Daniel. Don't. Eleven years is still not long enough. There never will be a 'long enough'."


	32. Chapter 32

"This is..." Carolyn paused, looking truly and utterly amazed despite everything that she had seen throughout the course of her albeit relatively brief employment at the SGC. "... absolutely... incredible." From her seated position, she looked at Sam as the Colonel and Daniel sat alone in the briefing room with her. "This level of development... in _pregnant_ women happens over a few months... not minutes." She looked at the Asgard device on the table, shaking her head slightly. "Somehow your breasts have gone straight to Lactogenesis II... and you haven't even..." she paused again. "You've not even given birth! This job keeps throwing up new surprises day after day."

Daniel looked down as Sam, strained, remarked as he squeezed her hand, "Tell me about it."

"This whole situation is amazing." Carolyn sighed. "Jake is absolutely fine... his tum's rumbling a bit quite possibly from the milk you'd fed him before you got the Asgard device working, but he's ok." She smiled. "He's 100 percent yours. He has both your chromosomes..." she looked at Sam. "_... your_ protein markers from Jolinar." Carolyn smiled as she looked at her file, and Daniel glanced at Sam, raising an eyebrow. Sam nodded, smiling slightly, knowing that he was too embarrassed to ask the next question.

"What did the device do to me?"

Carolyn looked up from the file, distracted for a moment as she replied, "Oh... oh right. Yes. You see, the device has apparently stimulated an increase, and then decrease in the case of oestrogen and progesterone, in your body of hormones such as progesterone, oestrogen, FSH or follicle stimulating hormone, LH or luteinising hormone, prolactin, oxytocin, HPL or human placental lactogen. These all contribute to breast development, specifically the development of milk ducts and alveoli during the second and third trimesters of a pregnancy. As it's not standard procedure to measure the breast sizes of enlisted personnel, we don't have anything to compare your current size to, but you are definitely bigger than you were before. Analysis of your breast milk showed that it's the same as the colostrum produced by new mothers – it's high in white blood cells and antibodies, immunoglobulin A... which coats the lining of Jake's intestines and is essentially an antiseptic; and is low in fat. In a few days, you'll phase into Lactogenesis III where you'll produce mature breast milk and you'll produce it according to how much Jake drinks." She looked at Sam sternly. "It's important that you eat properly."

Sam asked, glancing at Daniel, "What about coffee?"

"Coffee doesn't count as nutrition."

Daniel hid a smile as Sam shrugged. "I've heard that nursing Moms aren't allowed to drink coffee."

"That's not strictly true. Five cups is an acceptable limit... any more and the caffeine could accumulate in Jake's system, which could result in wakefulness and irritability. Obviously, if you do notice that he's still being affected, then cut down or abstain completely."

Sam nodded, and Carolyn continued, looking at both of them, "Now... as for the cover story..." She smirked.

Sam looked at Daniel, who said, "Uh... we've considered saying that Sam didn't know that she was pregnant... there have been a few cases where pregnancies have gone to term without the mother's knowledge." He looked down at his and Sam's interlinked hands thoughtfully.

Carolyn nodded. "Hm. I doubt anyone would believe the alternate timeline story anyhow." She looked at both of them again. "So... how are you doing? It must be tough being parents suddenly. You look as though you're taking it well."

Sam replied as Daniel looked at her, the Colonel giving his hand a squeeze, "Well... it is tough, but we're getting by just like we've always done." She smiled as she glanced at Daniel. "We're looking forward to taking him home." She chuckled briefly. "And I get to finally start using up the maternity leave I've accrued over the years."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Sam, in her quarters on base, sat on her bed as she fed Jake again, Daniel sitting next to her as he watched. The Colonel remarked as she stroked Jake's cheek,

"Well, that's quite possibly the only briefing General Landry and General O'Neill have deliberately wanted to skip..."

Daniel smiled slightly. "In Jack's case, he had to be persuaded not to go. He'll read the report because he thinks there's something dirty in it."

She laughed and then sighed, glancing up at him. "I'd love to know how that device works."

He remarked, raising his eyebrows briefly as he slipped an arm around her shoulders, "Well, you see, Colonel-Doctor... you're on maternity leave now, which means that you can't sneak in to pull apart pieces of fascinating technology 'til dawn."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I guess we'll be busy enough for the time being with Jake." She sighed. "I can't believe we're parents... it just seems very surreal... and I could wake up at any moment." She smiled slightly. "I always thought that I would know in advance that I would be a mother. This just seems like cheating." She kissed his jaw. "You know... when we get to formally name him... one of his middle names could be 'Thor'."

He smiled, kissing her hair. "And another one could be 'Francis' or 'Cameron'... or even 'Mitchell', seeing as Mitchell apparently brought him into the world."

"What about 'Teal'c'... because he brought him back."

They both looked thoughtful, Daniel saying, "We'd have a hard time explaining the background to that name."

"Jacob Murray Thor Carter-Jackson."

He chuckled. "Well... Teal'c's already covered by 'Jacob' seeing as he was so insistent... how about Jacob Mitchell Thor Carter-Jackson?"

"Hmm. That sounds quirky."

He smiled, tenderly kissing her temple. "Just like Mommy."

A knock at the door interrupted their private moment and they exchanged a puzzled glance, wondering just who it could be. She straightened up and he kissed her before getting up to answer the door.

He blinked for a moment in surprise on finding Jack at the door, the General asking, "Come on... you, Carter and Jake wanna come to the Commissary with me?"

Daniel replied, grimacing a little, "Sorry Jack... Sam's feeding him."

Jack, puzzled, said, "She can feed him at the Commissary."

Daniel grimaced again. "Uh... not really... only if she wants to be stared at." Noticing that Jack still looked confused, he said, choosing his words carefully, "She's nursing him."

Jack looked at Daniel as though the Archaeologist had told him that the sky was purple, and remarked, exasperated, "Daniel... Carter can't nurse him 'cos she didn't push him out."

Daniel, feigning innocence, said with the faintest of smirks, "Jack, you should really read those reports. Sam's nursing."

Daniel, trying very hard not to laugh, then closed the door as Jack stood there, looking incredibly stunned, his eyebrows shooting up as he remained frozen for a good minute, his mind involuntarily sprouting images and possibilities.

Sam said, embarrassed as she finished feeding the baby, "Daniel..."

Daniel replied, finally chuckling as he sat down next to her, "Sorry... just had to see the look on his face. You should have seen it." He smiled as he held Jake in his arms, Sam wiping the little boy's face, and he whispered, watching his son drift off to sleep,

"He looks peaceful."

She smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder again. "He should be... I think I'm going to be producing a lot of milk if his feeding habits are anything to go by." She rubbed Jake's round stomach through his blanket, and then kissed Daniel's neck, whispering,

"I can't wait 'til we take him home. And maybe we could get some sleep at some point."

He chuckled softly. "Ha... that's likely. Luckily the walls aboard the Odyssey were soundproof so everyone else didn't get woken up ten times a night." He rested his head against hers. "Maybe he'll calm down eventually." He sighed, smiling slightly as he felt her hand on his thigh. "We're going to have to go baby-shopping tomorrow."

She hummed in agreement. "He'll be alright when he gets his own crib. We're going to have to fit out the spare room at ours." She stifled a yawn. "It would be nice if we had the blueprints of some Asgard device that could do all that."

"Oh... so true."


	33. Chapter 33

Later, Daniel walked into the Infirmary just as Carolyn had finished another examination of Jake, and he asked Sam after the doctor had bade them goodnight, "Ready to go?"

Sam replied, looking tired as she looked down at a squirming Jake in a clear plastic cot, "Yeah. I hope he sleeps for more than an hour at a time tonight."

Smiling gently, he kissed her on the forehead and carefully picked up their son in his arms, tenderly kissing him on the forehead too. Daniel gently stroked the tip of the boy's nose with a finger and he smiled. Sam watched him with a little smile of her own, watching him continue to bond with their son, and he eventually looked up, his face flushed with excitement and he hugged her with one arm, carefully holding the baby in his other.

They smiled at each other and she slipped an arm around his waist as he held the baby in both arms, the new family leaving the Infirmary.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Daniel, in the dark, unlocked the front door of his and Sam's house as Sam held their now sleeping son. He said softly, glancing at her,

"We could check online first... it might turn out cheaper. Lieutenant Evans recommended a site."

She smiled to herself, knowing that he hadn't realised how the Nurse's eyes had been glazed over the entire time she had been talking to the Archaeologist, and he finally got the door open, turning lights on as he held the door open for her. She entered the lounge as he closed the door, hanging his jacket up, and she switched the light on.

Suddenly, a chorus of 'baby shower!' startled both her and Daniel, and woke the baby. As Sam pacified a now screaming Jake, she looked around at the beaming faces of Cam and Vala, and a more sober Teal'c in surprise, and Cam and Vala suddenly looked sheepish. Daniel and Sam looked around their friends to see piles of gift-wrapped packages and boxes, and Cam said, beaming as he approached them,

"Sorry, guys. We know you're tired and would love nothing better than to sleep right through your leave, but you know... you missed out on a baby shower." He gestured around at all the gifts. "Everyone on base insisted on chipping in..."

Teal'c added with a slight smile, "Your neighbours would not have taken kindly to the sound produced by over one hundred SGC personnel and O'Neill and his insistence on the conveyance of alcoholic beverages."

Both Sam and Daniel silently noted Vala's unusual quietness but said nothing. As Daniel thanked their friends, Sam hugged Cam over the baby, whispering, "Thanks Cam."

Cam, hugging her as much as he could over his surrogate nephew, replied with a grin, "Hey, it's nothing. It's all the kids you could have had rolled into one here... I believe I'm due some _Uncleing_."

Sam chuckled and then said with a sigh, "We've got to tell Mark."

"Already done."

Sam and then Daniel stared at the Colonel in surprise, who continued with a shrug, "Landry did it in his capacity as your superior officer. You gave birth unexpectedly during some flight tests."

Daniel raised his eyebrows as Sam remarked, "That sounds colourful."

"As close to the truth as he can get without being shot."

0o0o0o0o0o0

The presents opened, Daniel and Teal'c having installed Jake's new crib in the spare room upstairs as well as other various pieces of baby furniture, clothes and toys, Cam remarked as the team relaxed in the lounge once again,

"You know... I like to think that I handled myself pretty well, but I imagine I went a bit crazy cooped up on that ship for that long."

Teal'c, Sam and then Daniel noticed the strange look that Vala discreetly shot the southern Colonel, and Cam continued, glancing at Teal'c, "Well... if I was... or did do some gnarly stuff up there... I'm sorry, dude."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow at him, everyone else but Vala looking stunned at the potential implications of such, and Daniel said, changing the subject, "You know, Teal'c did tell me some things I learnt from the Asgard knowledge base."

Vala asked, annoyed that Teal'c had refused to tell her for sure what had happened, "He did? Like what?"

Sam, her head against Daniel's shoulder, smiled, remembering Daniel telling her what Teal'c had told him, and the Archaeologist muttered to himself, "Oh boy, what were they..." Looking as though he had remembered what he had been told, in a repeatable form, he smiled. "Beggars can't be choosers. Better late than never. Look before you leap."

Cam smiled as he straddled a chair, watching his friends. "The best things in life are free." Vala shot him another little look which this time he had noticed but had then ignored.

Vala sighed and remarked, a hint of petulance in her voice, "Let me guess, beauty is only skin deep?"

Daniel looked at her semi-seriously. "Silence is golden." She eventually smiled at him as Sam interlaced her fingers with his, their hands on his thigh, and Cam said, smiling slightly as he remembered occasions in the past when he had understood at least a quarter of what either of the scientists of his band had been talking about as well as his enthusiasm and willingness to try his hand at absolutely anything,

"Jack of all trades, master of none."

Sam, her head still on Daniel's shoulder, looked up at the Archaeologist with a little smile, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Vala sighed. "Life is too short."

Daniel turned over the hand that Sam held, giving her hand a squeeze as he gazed at her with a mirroring smile, and Teal'c said, an eyebrow going up again as he looked at both Cam and Vala, and at Sam and Daniel, "Good things come to those who wait."

Sam looked at Teal'c, now looking concerned. "You know, as hard as it is for us not knowing, it must be torture for you not to tell us."

Teal'c nodded slightly as he looked grave. "Indeed."

Cam suddenly chuckled. When everyone looked at him, he remarked, slapping his thighs, "That _cannot_ be the extent of the Asgard knowledge... otherwise we'd be building sky cities by now if their technological development was anything to go by."


	34. Chapter 34

Long after their friends had gone home, Daniel held Sam in his arms, his chin resting on her shoulder as they both looked down a sleeping Jake, the boy in his new crib. The scientists of SG-1 smiled down at their son, Sam whispering, looking moved nonetheless,

"He's so tiny... and beautiful."

He held her tighter, pursing his lips briefly as his eyes momentarily exuded a grave sadness on remembering Shifu yet again. "He's our beautiful little boy." He looked at her in concern when he realised that she had started to cry, and he asked, "Sam?"

She shook her head, her voice wobbling with emotion. "Sorry, it keeps getting to me how hard it must have been for them to have let him go. I couldn't have done it, not like that." She turned in his embrace, sniffing back more tears as she buried her face in his shoulder, and he held her even tighter as he kissed her face and her hair.

He whispered, "It's ok, Sam. We have him now and he's safe. Our little miracle."

She kissed him in return, remarking with a smile that was shaky at first, "Like father, like son." She chuckled but then her expression grew wistful as she considered whether Daniel had truly set a precedent for the boy. Turning back to the baby with a soft sigh, she began to think of Daniel's continuing willingness to sacrifice himself for the greater good.

Disturbed and feeling guilty as he sensed the turn her thoughts had taken, he whispered, kissing her neck gently, "Forget about the past or the future, Sam. We have everything we could possibly want right now... each other, a steady relationship, highly interesting – if only that – jobs, great friends and..." he kissed her again. "... an amazing son. We're going to be great."

She said softly as she slowly rubbed the arms that were around her waist, "I hope so."

Smiling as he gazed at her, he said, "Come on, let's see if we can get some sleep before Jacob's aptly named namesake wakes up to shout at me again. Ah... that brings back memories..." he laughed when she laughed too, hitting him in protest.

"Dad never shouted at you!" Her smile faded as she looked down at Jake. "He was rather taken with you. I bet he would have loved to have seen us in a relationship."

"Either that or he'd have beaten me within an inch of my life and then some..."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Some hours later, the sound of a baby screaming disturbed their until then peaceful slumber, and Sam groaned, remarking grumpily as she and then Daniel awoke, "Just one night... why he can't he sleep through one night?"

Daniel whispered blearily, kissing her shoulder before getting up, "Ssh, it's ok... I've got it."

She groaned again, replying as she sat up, watching him leave their room in the dark, "Daniel, come on, we're supposed to be taking turns."

Rubbing her face tiredly, she followed suit, following him into Jake's room just as the Archaeologist had picked a screaming Jake up, the baby's face bright red. He bounced Jake in his arms, shushing him as he whispered, gazing down at him,

"Hey, hey Jake. What's up?"

He looked up at Sam and said quietly after hesitantly peeking down the back of his son's nappy, "I think he might need feeding. Do you want me to heat up a bottle from the fridge?"

She remarked with a slight smile, "I'm up... I may as well make myself useful."

He smiled, kissing Jake's forehead before carefully handing him to Sam, who began to feed the child as Daniel rushed to get a chair for his girlfriend.

Having got an amused Sam seated, the Colonel amused at his characteristic thoughtfulness, Daniel kneeled at her side as he stroked Jake's head as the now quiet baby shut his eyes, looking immensely calmer. Sam whispered softly as she stroked Jake's cheek,

"That device has been such a lifesaver."

He hummed in agreement and got to his knees to kiss her before resting his head on her shoulder as he continued to look down at Jake. He sighed happily, a hint of wistfulness in the sound nonetheless, and he asked quietly,

"Do you ever think about how our lives might have been during that year... you know, if we hadn't been stuck aboard the Odyssey? If we'd had that year normally."

She smiled, turning to kiss his temple. "Of course I do."

He didn't say anything more as she continued to feed Jake, which then sent her mind on a million and one tangents in the space of a few seconds. Looking a little sad for a moment, she finished feeding the baby and they stood up. After cleaning the infant up, she laid him down in his crib as she and Daniel looked down at him, and she whispered as she smoothed Jake's round belly, kissing his forehead,

"Sweet dreams, Jakey."

She smiled as she glanced at Daniel and then they left the room, the Archaeologist switching the light off on the way out.

Out in the landing, he caught hold of her hand. She turned to him in surprise, surprised further and shocked on seeing him down on one knee. She gasped as he began, looking up at her,

"Sam, I know this is quite possibly the worst time in the world... and you might even think it's for the wrong reasons, but I don't want to wait any longer." He glanced down. "Truth be told, I've wanted to ask you before the mission. I guess... I guess what I'm trying to say is..."

He paused.

"... do you want a bigger place?"

She paused and then laughed in disbelief. "Daniel!"

Feigning innocence, he stood up and asked, shrugging, "What? It's a pertinent question..."

Still laughing, she shook her head and went into their room, and he followed her, continuing, "You know... especially now with Jake, we could do with the extra space."

She lie on the bed, closing her eyes so he wouldn't see her tears of disappointment. "Come back to bed, Daniel."

Palming something from his jeans that were folded on a nearby dresser, he kneeled on the floor at her side of the bed and said softly, smoothing her cheek as he began to regret playing his earlier joke, "There is another question."

She turned over, facing the other way a little too quickly as she said, sniffing, "What? That we could do with another car?"

He smiled slightly. "Nope... we already have two... but I suppose I'll put a car on the short list for your birthday present." He caressed her shoulder, now looking nervous as she remained turned away from him. "No... I'm really scared this time because you'll think it's for the wrong reasons, considering recent events, and you know... it isn't. I honestly have considered asking you this before the mission."

He didn't see her rolling her eyes but smiled again nonetheless, knowing that she was doing it.

"... and had it been a normal mission – well, normal for us – I would have asked you by now." He paused. "The thing is Sam... you don't know what you do to me. You're the best thing that's happened to me in... forever... and if you'll let me, I'd love to spend the rest of my life with you." He noticed her shoulders tense. "I guess what I'm trying to say is..." he wiped away an involuntary tear as he gazed at his girlfriend... or rather his girlfriend's back,

"Samantha Carter... will you marry me?"

0o0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile, at the SGC, as Vala moped in her quarters, curled up in the middle of her bed, there was a knock at the door. She sighed, thinking that it was Teal'c coming again to comfort her, or at least attempt to, and she got up, remarking,

"Honestly Muscles, anyone would think that you're in love with me the number of times you've dropped in for a..." she lowered a voice a few pitches. "... _meaningful discussion of an emotional nature._" She went back to her usual pitch as she opened the door. "I'm fine. You might not..."

She stared in surprise on not seeing Teal'c this time, but a rather awkward looking Cam, who remarked, "Bad time?"

She squared up to him. "Yes, in fact it is. I'm currently making wild love with SG-3."

He looked increasingly embarrassed yet cleared his throat and retorted, glancing at her fully dressed form, "Fully clothed?"

She glanced down at her clothes. "There's a lot of foreplay with those Marines... and Colonel Reynolds is rather slow."

She was about to shut the door, saddened further on seeing him, when he quickly stopped her, saying, his eyes showing a confusion of emotions ranging from sorrow to unease, "Look, I'm sorry, ok? I shouldn't have said those things."

She replied, swallowing past a lump in her throat, "Why not? I'm not much to look at... I'm not even human. I don't think I even really count as a member of your little Stargating club." She was about to shut the door once again when this time he walked straight into her quarters and sat down on the edge of her bed.

Surprised that he hadn't at least asked her permission, she closed the door and hesitantly sat down next to him, briefly wishing that she hadn't. He said, staring at the wall opposite him,

"That was totally uncalled for on my part, Vala. I'm sorry." He looked at her eventually. "As for that last little bit, of course you're a member of SG-1. What gave you that impression?"

She shrugged as she looked down at her hands. "Well... your behaviour in particular towards me. I know Teal'c does find me annoying but he'd never let anything bad happen to me, the same going for Daniel... and Samantha still sees me as a rival for Daniel's affections despite us sharing stories with about our times as Goa'uld hosts. As for you..." she sighed silently. "... your feelings towards me were rather clear when we first met and have been so ever since."

He touched her shoulder briefly, the Colonel looking dismayed. "Aww, come on. Look, I'll admit that I've been short towards you, but when I first met you, you'd shackled yourself to one of the guys I wanted back on SG-1, and plus you were the pirate who'd tried to steal the Prometheus. But, you know, despite your oddities and peculiarities, I have come to appreciate your abilities and insight during missions. I'd have to be blind not to see that."

She asked, glancing at him, scared, "But what about what Muscles has been implying since we returned from the Asgard mission?"

He shrugged as he stared at the wall opposite him once again, before looking at her and asking, "Well, what do you think?" He paused. "I've thought about what you said, and you know... I think it'd be possible, taking into account that both of us would have been incredibly bored for that entire year. To tell you the truth, I honestly don't think it'll work under any other circumstances... what if it was because we were just bored?"

"But what if it was more than that? What if it could be more than that? Maybe you finally realised that I'm not a bad person, Cameron, and that a relationship between ourselves could work."

She saw the fear in his eyes as he moved his gaze back to the wall, and she said, gazing at him, "I'm scared too. We work together... and if it doesn't work, we don't really have a precedent of friendship to return to if..."

He smiled slightly, considerably amused at first as he reached for her hand, squeezing it. "Vala..." He met her gaze. "... we have been getting to be rather good friends this past year. I don't know what will happen if it doesn't work out but... you know what? Why does it not have to work out?"

She smiled at him, getting to be somewhat embarrassed, and he, slow and unsure, lowered his lips to hers. Smiling in anticipation, she slipped her arms around his neck and met him halfway, kissing him gently as his arms gradually came around her.


	35. Chapter 35

Sam quickly sat up and stared at him, hoping that she hadn't just been dreaming. Daniel's gaze fell away from hers as he began to wonder whether he had been rushing things, or even that his earlier joke had tainted the moment. He murmured with a sigh, getting up,

"It's ok... I'll... I guess... I guess it is too soon. I've just got to go..." he hadn't realised, until that moment how hard he would take a rejection. "... downstairs. I'm fine. Just... you know... guy stuff."

Sam was disturbed and upset to notice that he wasn't meeting her gaze and was trying to look philosophical. She opened her mouth to call him back but couldn't get the words out as he left the room. Frustrated, she threw the blankets off and took a deep breath before walking after him.

She began to run when she couldn't see him in the lounge, and she eventually found him in the back yard, his back to her, his arms around himself as he looked up at the starry sky. Picking her way barefoot across the patio and through the grass, she wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against the top of his back. He whispered, after getting over the initial surprise of the physical contact,

"All I ever wanted, Sam, was for us to be together forever. I could have chosen a better moment, I guess. I was just so excited about us being a family, and..." she was dismayed to realise that he was crying. "... I just want you to know that it's not for the baby... it's not for Jake. I was planning to propose anyway... because you mean more to me than anything or anyone." He sighed. "But I understand. It'll be ok. I think I might have just hurt my pride."

She smiled. "Idiot." She continued as she moved so that she was in front of him as his gaze dropped from hers for the second time that night, her arms around his neck. "Oh Daniel... you talk and think so fast that you mistake second-long hesitations for something negative." She gently kissed him. "If you'd waited, you wouldn't be out here right now."

He finally looked at her, looking hopeful yet scared, and she whispered, now crying herself as she rested her head against his shoulder as his arms came around her, holding her close, "Daniel... never have I been asked a question so easy to answer. I love you so much... and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

She smiled through her tears as she realised that he had stopped breathing for a moment. The next thing she knew she was being swept off her feet and spun around by a laughing Archaeologist, and she laughed too, knowing how happy he was feeling if her happiness was anything to go by, and glad that she was the source of his. He said, looking giddy,

"Wait. Let me ask you again."

She asked as he carefully set her back down to Earth again, "You still have the ring?"

He smiled as he touched her cheek, opening his hand to reveal a dark velvet box. "Always prepared... a side effect of working for the military."

She chuckled and then he went down on one knee, the scene somewhat surreal to a third party had one been present, to see the Archaeologist kneeling in the grass in just his boxers in front of Sam who was wearing nothing but a t-shirt. Despite having been asked already, she gasped in surprise, moved by the moment as he gazed up at her.

"Samantha Carter. Will you do me the honour of being my wife?"

She, in tears, dropped to her knees and hugged him tight. "Yes, Daniel. Of course I will."

He held onto her, sighing in happiness before carefully slipping the ring onto her finger. She looked at the ring before wrapping her arms around his neck again. She grinned at him, still emotional, and whispered,

"We're getting married."

He kissed her, gently at first, tears running down his cheeks as he gave himself to her. A few moments later, she whispered as he hugged her tight, her head against his shoulder,

"Daniel."

He nodded and kissed her temple before helping her to her feet, the newly affianced couple going back indoors, concerned for their child's welfare. After locking the back door and switching lights off, he whispered with a soft smile as he gazed at her as they made their way back upstairs,

"I can't believe you said 'yes'."

She rolled her eyes and laughed quietly as they ascended the stairs. "Like I'd say 'no' to you, Daniel. How long have you known me?!"

They entered Jake's room to check on him, seeing with relief that he was still asleep and absolutely fine, and Daniel whispered to their son as he wrapped his arms around his fiancée as they both looked down at Jake, "We're one big family, Jake."

Sam smiled as she reached down to smooth her son's crown. "And if you're lucky, you could have a brother or a sister." She felt Daniel's arms tense around her, and she leaned back in his embrace, continuing to him with a whisper, "We wanted a big family... eventually."

He chuckled. "Let's see if you still think like that after a few months of your Dad's namesake frightening us every so often." He winced when Sam nudged him in the ribs.


	36. Chapter 36

After doing some shopping to give Sam a breather, Daniel put bags of groceries into the back of his car while Cam secured Jake's car seat into the back seat. Once the Colonel had finished, he helped Daniel, remarking as they both kept glancing into the car nervously,

"Paranoid, huh?"

Daniel murmured with a frown, "Hard not to be." He helped Cam lift a particularly heavy bag in before closing and locking the boot. As he and Cam got into the car, Cam asked,

"Hey, uh, when's Mark due?"

Daniel replied as he looked back at his sleeping son – who both he and Sam had taken an inordinate amount of time and pleasure in dressing up earlier that day in his little pastel blue outfit complete with matching beanie – and smiled. He then craned his neck to look for moving cars as he pulled out of the parking space in front of the store, "This evening, I think. Why?"

"Uh, no reason... just curious. You've met him before right?"

"Once... years ago... way before me and Sam became an 'us'. Actually, we were planning on going to San Diego this Christmas." He shrugged as he drove out of the car park. "It could still happen."

Cam smirked as he fiddled with the radio before Daniel raised his eyebrows at him as he placed his hand over his briefly, silently reminding him that once Jake was woken up, it would be difficult to actually process thought. "On condition that he doesn't beat your brains out?"

"Right..." Daniel suddenly smirked as he said, feigning innocence, "So... what's up with you and Vala?" Daniel glanced at the Colonel in time to see him cover up something in his usually upbeat countenance that could have been described as somewhat sinister.

"Um... nothing... So, hey, who's Mark bringing with him?"

Daniel noticed that Cam had taken to now looking straight out of the side window as he nervously fiddled with his hands. Daniel smiled. Cam didn't act like this usually, not even in hostile situations off world. He then smirked. He'd finally made the man speechless, the man who usually had something to say in every situation, from lab mishaps at the SGC to run-ins with off-world drug dealers and representatives of a pernicious religious crusade.

"Your silence and reluctance is just delaying the inevitable." Suddenly surprised, Daniel asked, "You guys are an item, aren't you?" He smiled giddily as he spoke at what seemed to be the speed of light. "Oh, that is so great. Really. Great. I'd never have seen it... oh, Sam's going to be so happy to know that she was right. On second thoughts, I think I see some smugness at the end of the tunnel." Daniel once again smirked on seeing Cam stare at him, flabbergasted, and Daniel continued with a shrug, "Please, you guys are as subtle as a flying brick."

"Much experience with flying bricks?"

"Uh... don't change the subject. So when did this happen?"

Cam, still looking out of the window, sighed, and said quietly, "Jackson... we didn't want anyone finding out... it's still in the experimental stage. If Landry finds out, we're as good as off the team... and I don't want it to be 'game over' at level 2... that's just lame."

Daniel, serious, said, glancing at his friend, "Hey. Mitchell. He'll be fine with it. He's fine with me and Sam."

Cam rolled his eyes and finally looked at Daniel as the Archaeologist focussed on the road. "Yeah. Jackson... please don't tell me you're so blind not to see the difference between..." Cam made a noise of frustration. "I've run out of metaphors!" He sighed. "Look... you guys are like..." he waved his hands about briefly. "... like..."

Daniel piped up helpfully with a small smirk, "Like A New Hope to your Episode I?"

Cam glared at him. "Crude but half-way there." He sighed again. "Look, you guys are trusted... the real deal. You've had a rough ride, been through hell and back, and you're legends. Episode 1 is what happens when a trusted formula is messed with."

Daniel frowned. "Come on, enough with the self-deprecation, Mitchell... before I get Sam to hit you."

"Why can't you hit me?"

"It's more fun to watch Sam do it."

Cam crowed triumphantly as Daniel stopped outside of his house and began to reverse into the driveway, "Oh, when I tell Sam what you said..."

Daniel raised an eyebrow at him right before Jake took the opportunity to not only wake up, but announce his state of wakefulness to the neighbourhood. Cam chuckled, remarking,

"Speaking of Sam..."

Daniel shook his head in disbelief before saying over his shoulder as he finished parking, "Ssh, Jakey, we're almost home. Uncle Mitchell's going to get stabbed in the eye in a minute."

Cam added, glancing at Daniel testily, "And your Pop's going to get a taste of Kung-Pow chicken in a minute."

"Chicken is right."

"Bite me."

"Hm. I think Sam and Vala are cooking chicken... so yes, I will."

"Well then, you're insane... because Vala anywhere near a kitchen is a disaster..."

Daniel grinned. "Ah yes, and when I tell your secret girlfriend... your... _everything_ is going to be sore for a month." Chuckling, he got out as Cam glared at where he'd been seated, before remarking to a whimpering Jake behind him as Daniel opened the back door,

"I'd say not to grow up like your Dad, but apparently chicks dig it, so carry on."

Daniel blushed as he busied himself with freeing Jake from the constraints of his car seat, and he whispered to the baby as he lifted him out of the car while Cam, having already got out, opened the boot as the front door of the house opened, "Come on, Jakey, Daddy's here. No more enduring Uncle Mitchell's poor attempts at humour."

Cam retorted as Sam stepped out of the house, followed by a fair-haired man, "Like that'll happen any time soon."

Daniel kissed Jake on the nose as the baby calmed down, and he, with his free hand, began to empty the boot as Cam began to carry bags into the house. Daniel noticed his fiancée and looked up at her as she asked,

"Any trouble?"

Daniel kissed her, replying as he carefully handed Jake over, "He slept most of the time."

Cam remarked from behind her as he returned from the house, "Don't forget all those women's numbers you got too, Jackson."

Daniel, embarrassed on remembering some of the female attention he had received whilst shopping with Jake secured into the shopping trolley, muttered, "Shut up, Mitchell," before carrying bags into the house as Sam asked, more curious than envious as she followed him,

"What women?"

Daniel shook his head, not wanting to talk about the experience as Cam laughed, continuing, "The boy got some flirts."

Daniel finally noticed the fair-haired man who had been hovering around Sam, and Sam smiled, saying excitedly as she remembered her brother's presence, "Mark, this is Daniel... Daniel, you remember Mark..."

Daniel smiled, shaking the hand of Sam's brother as he replied pleasantly, "Of course I do. Nice to see you again."

Mark replied with a nod that spooked the Archaeologist somewhat as he saw a little of Jacob in the man, "Likewise, Daniel. You've changed a lot."

Daniel shrugged non-committally as Sam beamed from ear-to-ear on noticing that the tips of her boyfriend's ears had turned red, and then she said to Mark as Daniel locked the boot once the bags had been carried into the house and Cam had followed said bags, "And this little man, Mark Carter, is your first nephew. Jacob Mitchell Thor Carter-Jackson."

As Mark gazed at her with a soft smile, looking overcome as well as happy, Sam, meeting his gaze with a now more sombre smile, handed her son over to her brother before leading him into the house as she slipped an arm around Daniel's waist.

0o0o0o0o0o0

"They know." As they put the shopping away, Cam leaned against a worktop next to Vala in the kitchen to whisper so the others wouldn't hear them. Vala simply smirked in reply, remarking,

"I know."

Surprised, he asked, not leaning as close to her as he had been previously, "You do? How?"

"Well, Samantha asked, and I answered. She's surprisingly astute."

He shook his head in disbelief at the last part of her remark before saying, looking anxious, "I thought we'd agreed."

She rolled her eyes as she closed a cupboard. "Oh come on, Cameron... who is she going to tell? It's not as if she's going to..." she made speech marks in the air with her fingers."..._tattle_. It'll just be one more thing for her and Daniel to talk about after sex." They kissed, and she whispered mischievously with a smile as she touched his lips, noticing to her satisfaction that he was now having trouble concentrating, "Have you encountered Samantha's brother?"

They both glanced at the doorway of the kitchen on hearing Carters and a Jackson enter the house, and they exchanged a glance right before Daniel made an appearance, the Archaeologist pausing for a moment on seeing his team-mates to smirk before going about making coffee. "So... you two..."

Cam glared at the Archaeologist. "Vala knows that you know."

Daniel turned to smile at the Colonel cheekily before his smile sobered somewhat when he looked at Vala. "It's good. Conjures up all the hope and light at the end of the tunnel imagery that Teal'c's been evoking recently."

Vala smiled at him, pleased and glad of his approval, and Cam asked in a hushed voice, "How's he taking being an uncle?"

Daniel shrugged as the kettle finished boiling. "Pretty well, actually. Sam's just explaining to him about the flight tests over Antarctica... and he's laughing at her, saying that she got so focussed on the planes and calculations, that she didn't notice that she was pregnant until she heard Jake screaming on the floor." He shook his head slightly as he poured water into some mugs containing coffee granules. "Weird sense of humour, those Carters."

Vala remarked as Cam began to load a tray with milk, sugar and biscuits, "Well, at least he believes it."

Cam glared at her briefly, silently reminding her to keep her voice down, and Daniel said quietly as he placed the mugs on the tray, the Archaeologist looking thoughtful, "He shouldn't have to." He looked up at Cam and Vala as he lifted the tray. "Come and meet my future brother-in-law." He smiled, amused as he left the kitchen. "It's weird saying it."

Cam retorted, glancing at Vala, "It's weird hearing it."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Later, with Mark in a spare room and Jake asleep in his own room, Daniel lie in bed, his hands behind his head, watching Sam undress while she talked, the Colonel excited. "Didn't I tell you that I was right? Cam and Vala. I could see it coming... and I bet I was right about them being together... you know..." She glanced back at the closed door of their bedroom meaningfully and he nodded in acknowledgement. "... then."

He hummed in agreement and smirked for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. "Well... you should have seen Mitchell fidgeting when I'd cornered him."

She chuckled as she joined him in bed and then shrieked, caught by surprise when he grabbed her. She whispered breathlessly as she hit his arms yet looking gleeful, "Daniel... Mark's only across the landing."

Daniel whispered, his face alight with mischief as he began to take her t-shirt off, "Well, another excuse not to scream, my wonderful Astrophysicist." He grinned, knowing that she didn't actually care about who could end up involuntarily listening in as her hands roved under his boxers, and she whispered weakly as he nuzzled her bare shoulder,

"That's harder than performing a Fourier Transform."

"Pfft, even I know how to do that."

She laughed, remarking as she looked up at him challengingly, "Ok, big guy, what is it?"

He replied, feigning innocence, "It involves a shape-shifting Frenchman." She laughed as he smiled, and he kissed her before saying as he stroked her cheek, "Well, you could explain it like you did Gaussian functions the other night." He grinned, looking hopeful. "That was rather enlightening."

She frowned at him in disbelief, and then asked, "Ok... so what is a Gaussian curve?"

He replied, amused, and still lying over her as his fingers danced down her collarbone, "Well... you see, Colonel, in radio astronomy, if an extraterrestrial radio source is transmitting a radio signal over 0.59 hertz when a radio telescope passes over that part of the sky, the received telemetry resembles a bell-shaped curve. The curve depicts the power distribution of the signal due to the movement of the telescope, showing an increase and then a decrease in the signal strength. Earth-based interference would show a steady and continuous power distribution due to... mmph!" Caught out initially when she had suddenly kissed him, he got over his surprise as he smiled into the kiss, one of her arms hooked around his neck.

She gazed up at him, looking even happier than she had to begin with, and she remarked, "You know what watching you explaining things does to me." She kissed his nose. "I'd have thought you would have better things to concentrate on than listening to my rambles."

He kissed her again, this time quicker. "Well... I like hearing you talk."

"The feeling's mutual."

He raised his eyebrows. "_You_ like listening to you talk?"

She laughed. "No, silly." She sighed happily. "Let's give Jake a brother or a sister."

He smiled slightly, amused and then he lowered his lips to her ear so no-one else could catch his words. "I think it's going to be a good idea to wait a little while longer, otherwise you'll turn heads for the wrong reasons." He kissed her ear tenderly. "I would like nothing more than to have a bigger family, my amazing fiancée... but it'll be too suspicious so soon."

She ran her fingers through his hair as she looked worried, and he continued, "A few months won't make much of a difference. We'll be ok."

She smiled as she touched his lips, and he continued kissing her. "We'll have fun trying, I know it."


	37. Chapter 37

The house bustling with SG-1 and Mark, Sam sat alone in hers and Daniel's bedroom on the end of the bed, dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, her hands clasped as she considered the enormity of the day ahead of her. She took a deep breath to steady her already frayed nerves and she smiled slightly as she looked down at her left hand, seeing her engagement ring sparkling back up at her. Suddenly she didn't feel as nervous as she considered who she was getting married to, and just how long they had been together. Granted, they had only been an item for less than a year, but they had been friends for much longer.

It would work... of course it would. It had worked so far, but then again, what if Daniel had only proposed to her because of Jake?

She closed her eyes, whispering to the room as her worries and anxieties came thick and fast, "No, stop it."

Taking advantage of the quiet moment she had requested, she got up and went to the dresser. She opened a drawer and sombrely took out a photo album. She went back to the bed and, sitting on it, her back against the headboard, she opened the book, seeing the faces of people who were unable to come to the wedding and who both she and Daniel wished could be there.

Janet Frasier, Sam's best friend and confidante, who had been killed in the line of duty over three years previously as she stabilised the heavily injured Airman Wells for 'gate travel.

Doctor Catherine Langford, who Sam had worked with at the Pentagon on Project Blue Book, and who had hired Daniel to look at the then mysterious Stargate. Catherine had been like a mother and a best friend to each of them and to the rest of SG-1, up until her death to old age around two years previously. Who could have foreseen what the Stargate had since opened up for them and for Earth... and now countless worlds who they had help free from the Goa'uld and the worlds that they will undoubtedly help in the ongoing struggle against the Ori?

Doctors Melburn and Claire Jackson, Daniel's parents, who Daniel had lost in a tragic accident at the age of eight. Sam had always wished that her first encounter with them hadn't been under such horrifying circumstances as being subjected to look on helplessly as their untimely death was repeatedly shown to her and Daniel in a virtual reality on the Gamekeeper's planet.

General Jacob and Grace Carter, Sam's parents, both of whom Sam missed everyday. Grace had died when Sam was twelve, in a car accident when she had taken a taxi home when she should have been picked up by Jacob. Jacob had died along with his symbiote Selmak, shortly after helping Sam and Baal to change the frequencies on the Super Weapon at Dakara, to narrow the destructive power of it to only affect Replicators, and rid the galaxy of the scourge. Sam sniffed back tears as she gently touched the image of her resolute looking father in his younger days, dressed in full dress uniform on his and Grace's wedding day.

She took a moment to look at the different faces, to remember each of them and to reflect. She took yet another deep breath and closed her eyes as she shut the album and held it to her chest as she lie curled up on the bed.

Sighing eventually, aware that she didn't have too much time, she got up, knowing that Daniel too would be going through more or less the same thing as she was. She put the album away and was about to leave the room when she heard Cassie from behind the closed door, calling to her in a sing-song voice at first.

"Sa-am? Are you done yet?"

Sam opened the door to see Cassie already dressed in her bridesmaid outfit, a wedding dress slung over her shoulder. The Hankan's smile immediately faded on realising that Sam had been crying. Ushering Sam back into the room, she asked, concerned as she silently gestured to Vala not to follow them,

"Sam, honey, what's wrong?" She put the dress down on the bed and then hugged the Colonel, as Sam whispered, holding onto the younger woman,

"I was just thinking about your Mom... and everyone else who's not here today."

Cassie nodded solemnly as she slowly let the bride go, handing her a tissue. "I know... Mom would have loved being here today to see both you and Daniel so happy. I told you before that she hoped that Daniel would eventually ask you out."

Sam nodded as she dried her eyes. She then said as Cassie picked up the dress from the bed. "Cassie... Daniel and I wanted to ask you something." Cassie looked up at her curiously. "If we have another baby and it's a girl... can we name her after your Mom? I... we ask because maybe you'd want to call your daughter that when you start a family of your own."

Cassie, now moist-eyed, covered her hand with her mouth in surprise. She then smiled and said, dropping her hand, "Of course you can. She's your friend as well as my Mom... there's no greater honour for her." She hugged Sam quickly, thanking her before saying with a grin, "Now... let's get you dressed up."

Sam glanced at the clock and said, "Not just yet."

She made to move past Cassie, who asked in confusion, "Where are you going?"

Sam turned back to her. "I've got to see Daniel."

"But...!"

"I know... but he must be sad right now thinking about the past." Sam smiled slightly. "And I'm not even dressed yet, so don't worry."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Sam ventured out onto the landing and Vala, dressed as a bridesmaid too as she carried Jake, remarked, surprised, "I was under the impression, Samantha, that you were going to wear that frilly white number that Cassandra just carried in."

Sam smiled at her. "I'll be back."

Vala raised her eyebrows on noticing that Sam was approaching the room where Daniel was preparing for the big day. "And I was also under the impression that you weren't allowed to see Daniel."

Sam ignored her team-mate just as Jack stepped forth from seemingly nowhere, apparently on guard duty. The General remarked as she reached for the door handle, "Carter... back to your room."

Sam shook her head. "Sir... I won't be a minute." When Jack made to object, she said, looking at him challengingly, "He saw me earlier this morning... and besides, I'm not even dressed yet."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "I can see that..."

Sam shook her head in disbelief as she opened the door and Jack called, "No... _doing_ things... that's an order."

Sam, inside, rolled her eyes as she closed the door and then turned to see a surprised Daniel looking up at her from where he was seated on the bed in what was their spare room. Sam noticed that he too wasn't dressed yet, and she sat down next to him without saying a word, knowing exactly what he was feeling and just why he hadn't got dressed.

Gazing at her, he slipped his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. He, frowning as he remembered his parents, Sha're, Janet, Catherine, and so many others, kissed the top of her head and then rested his head against hers. She weaved her fingers through his and their interlinked hands rested on his thigh, and suddenly they both felt calmer.

She sighed. "I don't even know what to say."

"Do we really need to say anything?"

She chuckled softly. "It's always been like this... an innate understanding."

"And finishing off each other's sentences."

He rubbed her back and said, looking reluctant, "You'll probably get hauled out by Jack in a minute... you should have seen him when Teal'c and Mitchell came to see me."

She gazed up at him as he returned her gaze, seeing the ghosts in his eyes and the long felt pain, and she hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, resting his head against hers as he considered just how lucky he was to have found someone such as her, who understood him, and who he understood to more or less the same degree. Sometimes though, he wondered whether she knew him far better than he did.

She let him go with a sigh as Jack began to call taunts and peculiar threats of violence and video-taping through the door, and she, her arms around Daniel's neck, kissed him gently, whispering, "It won't be long now."

He caressed her cheek as he returned her kiss, gazing at her lovingly. "I can't wait."


	38. Chapter 38

Sam, amidst a mass of white lace in the back of a black Daimler, looked up from her seat, out at the looming church, the Colonel looking very nervous as the car slowed to a stop. On feeling someone squeeze her hand, she turned it over to hold Cam's, turning to look at him seated next to her in full dress uniform. He asked, looking concerned at the fragile state of her composure,

"How are you holding up?"

She sighed, saying quietly as an equally if not more concerned Mark turned in the front passenger seat to look at her, "Just cold feet."

Cam patted her hand. "You'll be fine." he smirked. "Try not to puke."

She chuckled softly as Mark got out of the car. "Thanks." As her brother got waylaid by some very friendly Airmen, Sam said, glancing at Cam hesitantly, "If... you know..."

"Hey, if he doesn't turn up, _I'll_ marry you and break his legs."

She blinked in surprise and asked, bemused. "What about Vala?"

He grimaced. "Uh..." he then looked embarrassed. "... actually I get the feeling that she would enjoy it."

Sam reddened as she looked down at her bouquet, and then laughed, Cam joining in after a moment. Mark then opened Sam's door, the Astrophysicist remarking with a smile as she gave him her hand,

"Nice... thought I was going to be staying the night."

Mark smirked as he helped her out of the car as Cam got out of the other door. "I can always close the door again."

As Sam stood on the pavement outside of the church, Mark closing the door behind her as he made sure that her dress wasn't going to be caught in it, Cam stooped to kiss Sam on the cheek, saying, his cap under his arm, "See you inside, Carter."

She snorted derisively at the use of her surname. "We're not on a mission."

"Hey... don't tempt fate."

She smiled as he disappeared into the church with a group of Airmen who had been keeping lookout for the bridal car, and Mark asked, looking sceptical, "You'll get called on a mission in the middle of your wedding? All your superior officers are here."

She shrugged, sighing silently as she considered that she never would be able to tell her own brother about what she really did for a living. "Uh... long story."

"Right... classified." he paused, now looking concerned. "How are you doing?"

She shook her head and said quietly as she glanced at him, "Not good... I wish Dad was here."

He grimaced. "Me too... it makes me look old doing this... it's going to be some years yet before I have to do this for my girls."

She kissed him on the cheek. "You're doing a great job, Mark. Thanks."

"Hey, I'm just honoured that you want me to do this... so, thanks." he touched her cheek gently. "You ready?"

She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, and said, glancing at the huge doorway in front of them before looking back at him, "Oh... as I'll ever be." she smiled shakily. "Let's get this show on the road."

"Now that's good... because I'd rather not leave my wife and kids to take care of you while you bawl your eyes out because your feet are cold..." he winced when she punched him in the arm, and they laughed before she linked arms with him. "Right Colonel, let's roll."

They entered the church and the Bridal March began, played by the church organist as all of the guests from the SGC, Washington, and the Carter family got to their feet and turned to look at the bride as Sam and Mark slowly made their way down the aisle, Sam noticing Daniel's shoulders relax and then tense again as Jack, his best man, patted him on the back as the two men stood at the front.

Sam smiled, feeling much better about what they were about to do as she reached the front, seeing Teal'c in the front pew as he held Jake, the Jaffa seated with Vala, Cam, Carolyn, Landry, Hammond, and Jonas Quinn. At last, she had reached Daniel and as he gazed at her in amazement despite his nervousness, Mark cleared his throat and whispered,

"Break her heart and I'll finish the job when she beats the living crap out of you."

Jack stage-whispered back, "Would that be before or after the shiner? Let's ask Mitchell afterwards... seeing as he seems to be the authority on them."

Daniel turned back to the pew behind him briefly, seeing Cam glaring at Jack's back, the Colonel having been made the butt of the General's jokes about black eyes since he had been informed by Daniel that Cam had cited Jack as an authority on the injuries due to his Irish heritage. Daniel then smirked in amusement for a moment before nodding in acknowledgement at Mark's threat, and Mark kissed his sister on the cheek, whispering,

"Love you."

Sam replied fondly as she returned his kiss, "Love you too, smelly."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Following the exchange of vows, and after Jack had executed an elaborate yarn about supposedly losing the rings before miraculously finding them in his shirt cuffs, much to everyone's amusement, and the bridal couple's further nervousness, the Priest pronounced them husband and wife, permitting Daniel to kiss Sam to seal the union. Jack remarked,

"No tongues... Carter's nieces are present... not forgetting that little baby of yours."

Some Airmen whooped as Daniel kissed Sam gently, and he whispered, touching her cheek as he gazed at her lovingly, "We're married, Colonel Carter-Jackson... and no Ori situations springing up suddenly like they did during about three of those damn rehearsals."

She smiled back at him. "Well, they can do what they like now, Doctor Jackson." She turned towards Teal'c and picked Jake up, kissing him gently on the forehead as he squirmed. After a moment, she passed their son to Daniel as their friends hugged her, and the Archaeologist kissed his son's cheek, whispering,

"Thank you, Jake."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Later, after the reception, and after Jake had been settled down for the night, Sam and Daniel sat on the end of their bed in their respective nightwear as they held hands. She kissed him on the cheek and whispered, amused, "No more living in sin, eh?"

He snorted mockingly. "Come on... we're not in the Dark Ages, Sam... you're not a commodity."

She kissed him again, looking impressed at his attitude. "Which makes being married to you all the more refreshing and interesting."

They gazed at each other in amazement for a moment, contemplating the huge step that they had just taken in their relationship, when Sam suddenly laughed. Daniel, bemused, asked,

"What?"

She shook her head, still laughing. "No... it's just Vala catching my bouquet... she managed to give Captain Hailey a black eye when she elbowed her in the face so she could be the one to catch it."

Daniel couldn't help but laugh at the memory of the almost violent jostling earlier that day. "And then the four foot nine fighting machine tripped her... but she still managed to catch it." he sighed. "She must really like Mitchell."

"Or like embarrassing him."

He groaned. "She like embarrassing people, period. It's her way of knocking people down to size because of her own insecurities and fear of appearing vulnerable."

She nodded and smiled again. "They're great together though."

He smiled too. "Yeah. It's nice." He kissed her and then smirked. "So... where were we?"

She began pulled his t-shirt off, remarking in amusement, "Stop me when you remember."

His t-shirt off, he held her wrists, stopping her from going any further. When she looked confused, he said, gently kissing her cheek, "Let's go see Jake first."

0o0o0o0o0o0

The Jacksons leaned over their son's crib, watching him sleep as they contemplated their current situation. Sam whispered, glancing at Daniel next to her before looking down at Jake once more, reaching down to smooth the baby's cheek,

"It was nice of Cam to offer to take care of him for the night... but we've never been apart from him for any great length of time outside of missions since he came into our lives... and after what today symbolises for us, it's only right that he stays with us."

He nodded, slipping an arm around her shoulders, a hand rubbing the area between her shoulder blades. "Exactly." he kissed her temple, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "And we don't know how long we'll have in his life. His own parents didn't have long."

Sam pressed her lips together to stop herself from crying as she whispered despite not wanting to shatter her own illusions about what kind of a life they could have with their son, "We've got someone to live for now." she looked at him again. "What if that jeopardises our objectivity in missions, stopping us from taking the risks that we need to take because we're thinking of him?"

"Oh. It will Sam, it always will, but we just have to carry on. We have to keep fighting and defending Earth and so many other people and places. It's in our job description. It's going to be harder and harder each time we go through the 'gate, but we'll manage it... we always seem to." he groaned softly as he held her in his arms, standing behind her as he rested his cheek against her hair. "And... it's someone else to fight for. We're doing all this now so he can continue to live in freedom, and his children and grandchildren and so on will be safe and free too. Teal'c is right... he is a light in amidst the darkness we've experienced." he kissed her hair. "A very welcome light."

0o0o0o0o0o0

When they had returned to their bedroom, now a lot more philosophical about their situation and their lives than when they had left, Sam asked as she watched Daniel close the door and sit down next to her on the bed, "How about we give Jake a brother or a sister? He's six months old now... if I'd given birth to him, I'd be ready, although not exactly willing, to conceive again when he was four months." she swallowed past a lump in his throat. "At least he won't be alone if we do leave him one day."

She sniffed and he wrapped his arms around her as she began to look tearful as she considered the possibility of either of them dying. Tears springing in his own eyes, he whispered, kissing her hair, "Ssshh, Sam. Not tonight. Don't talk about it tonight. We're supposed to be happy."

Her voice wobbled. "I am happy... I am... it's just that..." she trailed off as he gently rubbed her shoulder.

"I know, Sam... I've been painfully aware of it when we bonded with him." he whispered with a tiny smile as he tightened his hold on her as she held onto him, "I wouldn't mind starting to try though."

She laughed softly against his shoulder, remarking as she fondly teased him, "I thought you wouldn't."

She sat up and he touched her jaw, now smiling a little more, and she smiled too, cocking her head as she watched him, remembering something he had told her before their wedding. "You're right... it's going to be fun."

He retorted, raising his eyebrows teasingly, "Yeah. As if you doubted that."

Smiling as they put to one side for the night their worries, she promptly straddled his lap and kissed him, running her fingertips up and down his back. He squirmed during the clinch, saying breathlessly as she looked down at him,

"Ah, that tickles."

"That's what you get for being snippy with me."

He rolled his eyes and proceeded to divest her of her pyjamas before she kissed him again, pushing him back onto the bed as he groaned. He sighed softly as he returned her kisses when he felt the cool surface of the quilt beneath his back, and his hands began explorations of their own. He smiled, amused when she shrieked as he tickled her in revenge for her earlier tickling.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile, Vala sat in the middle of her bed alone back at the SGC, her knees to her chest as she thought back to earlier in the day. She smirked in triumph as she looked at Sam's bridal bouquet on her night stand, and she hoped at least that she would be invited to another wedding on Earth, having enjoyed the one that she had experienced earlier much more than the ones that she had seen on television.

She looked up on hearing a knock at her door, and she called, "Cameron, it's open."

A surprised looking Cam peeked into the room before entering, closing the door behind him. He asked, his back resting against the door, looking perplexed, "How did you know it was me?"

She shrugged, still seated on her bed. "Intuition." she paused and smiled. "Well... no... I just figured that Muscles must be sulking in his quarters now that you're the one booty-calling me."

She got up, stretching a little as she asked brightly, "So... what brings you here on this no doubt nice night, my dear Colonel?"

He pushed his back off of the door as he slowly approached her. "I was thinking..." he smirked self-deprecatingly. "... again, I know... but... I want you to move in with me."

She bobbed her head sceptically as she slipped her arms around his waist when he had come close enough. "Oh, Cameron... we've been through this already. The IOA won't let me live elsewhere on this densely populated planet." she rested her head against his shoulder. "I just have to settle for day trips."

He wrapped his arms around her. "What if I told you that there's another way?"

She looked up at him curiously. "There is? Or is this just more futile speculation on your part?"

He hesitated before letting her go. She stared at him as her arms dropped to her sides, and he got down on one knee. "Vala." he attempted to swallow past his nervousness as he looked up at her. "Will you marry me?"

Surprised, she asked sceptically, "That's your other way?"

He frowned in confusion at her reaction and then said with a shrug, still on his knee as she walked away from him, "Uh... yeah. What's up?"

She threw her hands down, frustrated, her shoulders tense as turned away from him. "What's up? What's up?!" she turned back to him, speaking fast. "What's up, Cameron, is that this is all just..." she waved her hands as she sighed, frustrated as she tried to find the words. "... just too sudden... and like you're waving this... _magical_ wand over everything and it's all going to be violet-y..."

"Rosy."

"What?" she smiled briefly as she realised her linguistic mistake. "Right." she sighed. "So... as I was saying... you haven't given this enough thought. I don't even know why proposing to me is going to solve our little issue." she looked away from him, appearing glum. "I mean... I'm certainly not worth all that trouble."

Dismayed, he got to his feet and held her hands. "C'mon... don't say that." he reached up to touch her cheek, bringing her gaze to meet his once more. "You're worth it... God, you are more than worth it." she rested her head against his chest as he played with her hair, holding her close as he rested his chin on her head. "I know it's early but, hey, it could work. And it would solve our little problem too you know, because the IOA have to let you live off-base if we're married."

She looked up at him, stunned. "Really? I mean... just like that?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just like that? C'mon... marriage is a big step to take. I don't want this to be a marriage of convenience. I'm asking because..." he sighed, realising that there was one thing that he had never said to her. "... I love you." he kissed her hair, smiling as he felt her arms around him. She looked up at him as he kissed her lightly. She returned his kiss, kissing him far deeper, and she whispered as she rested her head against his shoulder, gazing at his chest,

"I love you too, Cameron." she smiled as she uttered the words that she too hadn't said to him before, now feeling much lighter now that they had been said.

"Marry me, Vala. We can go to Vegas. I know it's not ideal, but we can plan for a huge ceremony later, if you want."

She smiled, reaching up to touch his cheek. "I'd like that very much, Cameron." her smile widened. "I've heard nothing but good things about Las Vegas."

He chuckled, amused and suddenly realising what he may have started and imagining Daniel's soaring stress levels if he heard Vala's name anywhere near Las Vegas. "We're not on leave so we can't stay there... which means you won't be able to try your hand at anything."

They kissed again, and she remarked coyly as she swiftly unbuttoned his shirt, "Well, my impressive Colonel, there is one thing that I can try my hand at..."


	39. Chapter 39

_Set after Continuum (vaguely, timeline wise)... but hopefully not spoilerific enough for you to finally make that last dash for the hills... (it's not too late, y'know...). Also contains a little spoiler or two for Atlantis season 4._

0o0o0o0o0o0

Daniel smiled as he stood in Jake's bedroom, at the foot of the fair-haired boy's bed. He watched Jake, now aged three, frown as he usually did in his sleep, and then relax like he had done since he was a baby. The Archaeologist's smile began to tinge with nostalgia as he folded his arms across his chest loosely, leaning in the doorway as he continued to watch his son, remembering how he had come into his and Sam's lives unexpectedly so many years previously. It seemed like only yesterday that Jacob Mitchell Thor Carter-Jackson was being breastfed by his mother... and now the little boy, with his mother's hair and father's good looks, appeared to have inherited his Auntie Vala's and Uncle Jack's collective sense of mischief.

Daniel chuckled softly before whispering as he left the room, quietly closing the door, "'night, Jakey."

He sighed, alone on the landing as he thought, as both he and Sam usually had done over the past three years, of Jake's own parents, and how hard it must have been for them to give him up like they had. Looking philosophical, he looked down at his wedding band, knowing that both he and Sam were living the dreams of people who weren't quite the same as them.

His only comfort was that this was how it should have been, and if he had been in the same situation, he would have hoped that his son, or daughter, would be looked after and loved. He smiled despite a lump forming in his throat, knowing how much he and Sam loved Jake, and how they would rather die than give him up.

The question had come not long after they were married, from Jack no less, that when Jake was old enough, would they tell him about his real parents?

After much thought and consideration, Sam had replied, glancing at Daniel as he reached for her hand at the kitchen table, "No."

"No?"

Daniel had nodded. "No, Jack. Without the complications of the Odyssey incident being of a classified nature, what difference would it make? He's our son, and that's more than enough."

Daniel, still smiling slightly, walked into another room, his smile growing wider for a moment as he stood at the foot of two beds, watching two brown-haired little girls sleep, both just over a year younger than Jake. The Archaeologist folded his arms across his chest as he leaned in the doorway, remembering how they had come into his and Sam's lives. It had taken a lot of trying on both their parts... and a lot of heartbreak too when Sam had miscarried not long after their wedding, but they had got through it eventually.

Claire Cameron and Grace Vala Carter-Jackson, named after their grandmothers, and their uncle and auntie who had brought them into the world when Sam had unexpectedly gone into premature labour at home. Luckily, and thankfully, both children had pulled through the danger hours and had grown into healthy toddlers with his hair and eyes, and Sam's beauty... not forgetting a unique brand of mischief that he and Sam could never quite agree on with regard to its origins.

He sighed happily but quietly as he closed the door, holding onto the peaceful feeling that grew inside of him, for when he and Sam would no doubt be at their wit's end when their children were wide awake and in full throttle. They had started a family of their own against most, if not all of the odds and despite the darkness that had encompassed their lives prior to, and after Jake. But now the big war was over... although still there wasn't peace, with the Lucian Alliance occasionally taking pot shots; the Free Jaffa more frequently than occasionally having blow outs when someone insulted the other's mother who just so happened to be the cherished maternal figure of another five, and then more joining in because of ties of kinship, blood or previous affiliations; and the Wraith slipping through the grasp of the Atlantis expedition and barely being intercepted by the Odyssey on more than one occasion.

Despite that, it was a lot more peaceful than it ever had been, and his and SG-1's jobs weren't quite as dangerous any more, although still carrying an element of danger with them being the first contact team when exploring new planets, or when leading and/or participating in various diplomatic negotiations... or even when Sam's scientific or his archaeological expertise were required within the galaxy and beyond.

He happened to glance in a mirror on his way to the stairs, and he stopped, frowning at not only his hair sticking up every which way, but grey hair on the verge of being rather obvious around his temples. He grimaced as he touched it, neither liking that particular sign of ageing nor appreciating the fact that he was middle-aged.

Sighing as he ran his fingers through his hair, he went downstairs slowly, wondering idly whether they would come across a planet where the atmosphere would change his hair colour back. He would have to ask Sam about that. Maybe she would laugh at him again, like the time he had asked her, in exasperated jest after Jack had embarrassed him, whether the 'gate address for Jack's real home world was still locked up in the old General's head.

He found Mitchell in the kitchen, pacing the floor in front of the back window, a baby wide awake on his shoulder as he talked on the phone. As the Colonel ended the phone call, Daniel asked, glancing at the baby worriedly,

"Caffeine still not out of his system?"

Mitchell glared in his direction for a moment, remarking, "Remind me to lock the coffee away from Vala..." when the baby began to whimper, Mitchell shushed him, bouncing him on his shoulder. "She only remembers the first five mugs. Lionel's gonna be up all night now... and not in a good way."

Daniel chuckled softly, taking Lionel – named after the late commander of the Prometheus, who had gone down with his ship when an Ori satellite weapon had blown it up over Tegalus – from Mitchell, the baby immediately quietening as the Archaeologist stroked his cheek and said as the Colonel looked on in bemusement,

"Hey... every other baby is asleep right now... why aren't you?"

Lionel promptly began to whimper once again, clenching his fists in not quite so suppressed rage, and Mitchell remarked, weary, "It's no use... we're just gonna have to wait for the caffeine to wear off. Yeesh. I can't believe she drank all that coffee – _she's_ the one who insisted on breastfeeding."

Daniel raised his eyebrows slowly as he passed a quietly whimpering Lionel back to Mitchell. "It's because Carolyn told her not to. If she hadn't said anything, Vala wouldn't have done it. You know what she's like."

Mitchell snorted, glancing down at his son who began to look heavy-lidded. "Yeah. Downright rebellious." he smiled gratefully and looked back up at Daniel as the baby began to fall asleep against his chest. "Hey. Uncle Jackson did good. The little viper's finally getting some shut eye... which means Daddy can too."

Daniel, amused, remarked as he wiped the cooker, "You definitely need it if you're talking about yourself in the third person." His smile faded and he glanced up at Mitchell. "Still not sleeping?"

Mitchell, looking wearier, replied, "Short answer... no. I swear, Vala could sleep through a nuclear explosion. We've given up taking turns, because by the time I've woken her up, I might as well have done it anyway." He shook his head slightly. "Steph's the same as her Mom... I just hope she doesn't get anything more than looks from her though... otherwise there'll be trouble."

Daniel chuckled as he went to the sink to rinse his dish cloth out, and Mitchell asked quietly, hoping to not wake Lionel, "Hey... uh, how are your three?"

Daniel then proceeded to wipe the worktops with the cloth as he replied with a little smile, "Out like little lamps... they always get over-excited when Jack drops in... and he doesn't really help matters either."

"Giving 'em sugar?"

Daniel nodded, grimacing a little as he remembered three toddlers running all over the place as they screamed and laughed, hours before bursting into tears and picking fights with each other as the sugar wore off. "Oh yes. Sam's all but threatened his manhood, so let's see what he does next time." He glanced around the kitchen, now looking worried, and then he looked at Mitchell. "Hey... speaking of my wife, has she rung yet?"

0o0o0o0o0o0

A moderately pregnant Sam with shoulder length hair, in the passenger seat of a car driven by Vala, hung on for dear life as the alien tore down roads and across junctions. The Colonel said, looking increasingly edgy, "Vala... just 'cos the gas pedal can go down that far..."

Vala rolled her eyes, concentrating on the road as she remarked breezily, "Relax, Samantha – you're as bad as Daniel... and Cameron. This is nothing compared to the..." Sam cleared her throat, glancing back at a dark haired little girl in the back seat, who was barely two, and Vala, exasperated, said, "Come on, she's not going to remember..." She immediately lightened up. "As I was saying, my dear Astrophysicist, you've travelled faster than this..." she added in a stage whisper, in a half-hearted attempt to quell Sam's rising stress levels, "... _up there_."

Sam took deep breaths to steady herself. "It's not quite the same... there are inertial dampeners for one... and not as much traffic or things to crash into." She looked at Vala challengingly. "Look. If you don't slow down, I'm driving this myself."

Vala rolled her eyes as she reluctantly began to slow down. "Fine... honestly, it's the most boring way to travel. How do you do it?"

Sam, catching her breath as she rested her head back against the seat rest, her eyes closed, retorted, "I don't make things interesting when I'm pregnant."

Vala raised a finger. "Ah. Good point."

Sam shook her head, looking at her in disbelief before looking out of the window to clear her mind and as a way to get her blood pressure down. She smoothed her swollen abdomen and smiled slightly, her head still against the seat rest. Vala, glancing over at her in concern for her welfare, asked,

"Samantha. Are you ok?"

Sam nodded, replying quietly as her tiredness caught up with her now that she wasn't in mortal danger, "Yeah... I'm fine. Just don't like stressing the baby out."

Vala grimaced. "Sorry about that. Cars are just too slow for me."

Sam turned to look at her alien team-mate and smiled shakily. "It's ok. I know... just try not to do it when you've got a pregnant woman and your daughter with you."

"Well, I don't want Stephanie getting used to travelling like a human."

"Well... she is part-Earth born." Sam sighed softly and asked, "Did you ring Daniel? He's going to be worried out of his head... you know what he's like."

Vala waved dismissively, saying quickly, "Oh, don't worry about that. I rang him when you were in the restroom at Bloomingdale's."

Sam, relieved, smiled. "Thanks. He worries too much."

"I'll say. You should have seen him when we got Stephanie's ears pierced."

Sam chuckled softly, hiding her smile from her team-mate as she remembered when Vala had got a baby Stephanie's ears pierced over a year and a half previously. Daniel's reaction of dismay had been nothing compared to Cam hitting the roof when he had found out. This wasn't helped by Teal'c commenting that the piercings complemented Stephanie's ear lobes.

"I believe Cam's reaction was priceless."

Vala raised an eyebrow as she slowed to take a corner. "Tell me about it. He refused to talk to me for a week."

"Well, you know, it's not customary here to pierce babies' ears. I never had mine pierced 'til I was eleven... when my friend borrowed her Mom's piercing gun." Sam sighed wistfully, smiling slightly at the memory. "... that was only because _my_ Mom wouldn't let me. Kinda proved her right when they went septic 'cos Sally hadn't cleaned it properly."

Vala replied as she parked in front of Sam and Daniel's house, "Well..." she grinned. "... she looked adorable."

Sam laughed, looking out of the window as the car eventually stopped to see the porch light on, and Daniel and Cam emerging from the house. She smiled, rolling her eyes nonetheless as she glanced back at Vala. "What did I tell you? I bet he accuses you of kidnapping."

Vala pouted as she undid her seatbelt. "I hope not. He's scary when he gets annoyed."

Sam smiled in amusement and was about to open the door when Daniel got there first, helping her out as Cam opened the back door to get Stephanie. Sam remarked, looking semi-indignant as Daniel helped her out,

"Daniel... I'm not dying... I'm pregnant."

Daniel retorted, raising his eyebrows at her, "You were in a car with Vala driving – what's the difference?"

Cam said non-seriously as he lifted up a now beaming Stephanie. "Hey, I'm in earshot while you diss my wife."

Daniel closed the car door as Vala carried bags into the house from the boot. "Good, then you can confirm it." Kissing Sam in greeting, he looked at her in concern, his arm around her waist as he said softly, "Hey. How come you didn't ring? I was worried about you."

Sam frowned and said as she, Cam and then Daniel turned to look at Vala sceptically, "Vala said she rang you when we were at Bloomingdale's."

Vala suddenly paused and then looked sheepish. "Ah." she raised a finger. "I _thought_ of ringing... must have confused that with actually ringing. Sorry about that. I did ring someone... oh..." her face lit up on remembering something. "... I rang Muscles to ask for his neck size." Daniel and Cam exchanged a bemused glance. "Well, he was supposed to come with us but he had to go to Dakara unexpectedly..."

When the car had been locked, Cam remarked as he held his daughter, looking at Vala accusingly, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Oh, and thanks for asking... but Lionel's sleeping now. It only took me four and a half hours."

Vala rolled her eyes as they entered the house. "It was nice coffee... and you never let me drink coffee."

"You're hyper enough without it."

Vala sighed as she and Cameron stood in the hallway as Samantha and Daniel quietly disappeared into the kitchen. She looked up at her husband and said, looking serious,

"Look, Cameron. Despite what you may think... I'm not an irresponsible mother." she swallowed, looking down with a sigh. "I know you've been waking up for Lionel because of my far from desirable sleeping habits..." she looked back up at him again. "... and I just want you to know that I'm grateful." Noticing how tired he looked, she said, looking at him in concern and worry as she smoothed the skin around his right eye, "How about if I actually start setting the alarm on my cell phone? We know that Lionel starts his screaming spell at around three..."

Shaking his head, he smiled and gently kissed her. "You won't hear it... but thanks for thinking about it. I guess I'll just have to try harder to wake you up when it's your turn."

She remarked mischievously, a twinkle in her eye, "I don't think that that's outside of your abilities, my efficient Colonel."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Sam, at the kitchen table, looked through a photo album as Lionel slept in a portable cot nearby. Daniel, seated next to her, gently moved her hair from her eyes and asked, concerned for his wife's wellbeing, "Do you want anything to eat... drink, maybe?"

She shook her head and kissed him on the cheek. "It's ok, honey... we went to a Olive Garden at the Mall. I'm fine."

He remarked, amused at the thought of Vala with credit cards, "Big VISA bill for Mitchell again next month?"

She chuckled. "That isn't the half of it. For someone who gave birth a couple of months ago, she's..." she trailed off, embarrassed, and he held her hand. She then looked at him, her cheeks still red as she said, smiling a little, "Got you something."

He immediately perked up, and asked, "What is it?"

On hearing Cam and Vala enter the kitchen, she murmured, now feeling awkward, "I'll... show you later."

Daniel frowned, wondering what it could be as Cam said, raising his hands, "Hey... if we're intruding..."

Sam looked up at the leader of SG-1 with a smile, "No, it's ok." she looked from one Mitchell to the other. "You guys ok?"

Cam and Vala, having left Stephanie in the lounge, both nodded, the latter replying with a shrug, "Worked out new arrangements for when our outspoken bundle of joy cranks up the noise."

Cam chuckled, amused at the metaphor; chiefly Vala's use of it, and he straddled a chair as his wife sat down next to him. He asked, his arms folded across the back of the chair as he craned his neck to look at the album on the table, "So... new album?"

Sam replied as she moved the open album so that they could see it too, "Yeah. Made a new one of all of SG-1."

Cam's eyes narrowed on one particular picture, and he remarked, looking surprised, "Get out... that's..."

Daniel smiled at an amused Sam, and replied, looking at Cam again, "Yeah. Teal'c identifies with Grell a lot more... and I mean on a deeper level than you would think. Jack, Sam and I were just going to chip in for a ticket for him to go to the Wormhole X-Treme con, but he wanted us all there. It was surprisingly fun... and he's been to each main convention since."

Vala excitedly pointed at another picture. "_He_ certainly looks familiar."

Sam replied with a faint smile as she remembered the man who had stepped in for Daniel for the year that her husband had spent among the Ascended, "That's Jonas Quinn... he's got longer hair there. He grew it out after he went home. The last we saw of him was a few years ago – he was leading an underground resistance against the Ori... we gave the Langarans medical aid, which is the only aid they would accept from us."

Vala continued to look at the picture, much to Cam's dismay. "Ah... yes. Very cute." she sneakily glanced at Cam, feigning innocence when he caught her gaze. He glared at her and she rolled her eyes, shaking her head slightly. She then turned the page and suddenly stopped, looking stunned. She then looked up at a now embarrassed Daniel, and remarked,

"Ah. So the rumours are true... you _did_ have long hair."

Daniel looked down in embarrassment as Sam looked amused, and Vala continued, looking at the picture in question discernibly, "To be honest, you look rather pasty and if I'm not mistaken..." she smiled triumphantly. "... a little overweight!"

As Cam quietly guffawed, Daniel said defensively, almost pouting, "I wasn't!"

Vala rolled her eyes again and looked at Sam. "He was, wasn't he?" She pointed at another old picture of Daniel. "Little thick around the middle."

Sam, amused, replied, "Not that thick around the middle, Vala."

Daniel looked at her in disbelief and finally pouted. "Sam!"

Sam shrugged. "Hey, you were... but to give you credit, it was before you toned up and you did that pretty quickly." she smiled. "You looked pretty cute with that hair and the round glasses."

Everyone else laughed as Daniel looked increasingly embarrassed and awkward, and Cam remarked, patting him on the back as he took another peek at the offending pictures, "It's hard to believe that that's you... and to think, I wanted you back on tour so bad..." he looked at the Archaeologist teasingly, and Sam, sparing Daniel more blushes, said, turning the page,

"Hey, come on... you've seen hair before."

Daniel shot her a grateful smile, and Vala smiled at Daniel for a moment before looking at another picture, and remarking, looking surprised, "I didn't know you'd met MacGyver... why is he dressed in BDUs?"

Both Sam and Daniel laughed, the latter replying, highly amused, "Nope... that's actually Jack, believe it or not. I see the likeness though." he shot a mischievous glance at Sam. "We all did... even Teal'c when he'd learnt more about Earth TV. You should have seen the MacGyver box set that he gave Jack one year as a joke present... although it backfired when Jack made us all watch it."

Cam murmured, looking at the picture of SG-1's first commanding officer, who, in the picture was sporting his usual olive green baseball cap, "No shit, Sherlock. Wow. He's changed."

Vala pointed at another picture curiously. "Oh... is that little lady Cassandra's mother?"

Daniel nodded as Sam wistfully looked at the photo of Janet and Cassie, taken the Christmas before the doctor had died, and Cam replied, glancing at his wife, "I met her... remember when I told you about those different realities converging on the SGC?"

Vala nodded, and he continued, "Doctor Frasier came with one of the teams." He cocked his head as he looked at Sam teasingly. "We had something like twenty of _you_ on base... _and..._" he looked at Daniel too. "... if I remember correctly, on the same team as Doctor Frasier's team... Jackson here got the rampant baby making in early."

The Jacksons promptly blushed at the memory, glancing at each other with little smiles as they remembered that particular team, who had been dressed in camouflage BDUs, and the way that their Daniel had looked at Sam when Janet had told her that Sam's other self was on maternity leave. Vala looked from Jackson to Jackson and said,

"They were married?"

Cam shrugged, enjoying the Jacksons' embarrassment a little too much. "I don't know about that... that Jackson didn't have a wedding band... but I remember Martouf looking at him oddly after Sam asked him about where her other-me was."

Daniel cleared his throat and said, looking at the Colonel, "Ah, well... _I_ don't wear my band when we go through the 'gate... so they could have been married."

"Good point."

Sam looked at the picture thoughtfully. "Best doctor we'd ever had." As the others looked at her in concern, knowing that she had been particularly close to Janet, although Daniel had been close to her too, she turned the page and then smiled, remarking as she looked at the Mitchells,

"Ah... one of my favourites... all of us at your wedding. I love the cornfield in the background."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Later that night, after the Mitchells had gone home despite the Jacksons' insistence that they stay the night on the grounds that Stephanie and Lionel had fallen asleep, Daniel sat on the end of his and Sam's bed, remarking as a freshly showered Sam entered the room, dressed in a bathrobe,

"You know... I missed you when you were in Atlantis."

She chuckled as she sat down next to him, his arm slipping around her waist as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Didn't take you long to knock me up again."

He smiled, kissing her before kissing her bump as he smoothed it, and he asked, an eyebrow raised, "How come you're wearing a robe? It's not cold... and I've seen you in many, many states of undress before now." Smiling, he nuzzled her neck as she held onto him, laughing as he tickled her, and she, eventually managing to stop him, replied, looking a little shy as she stood in front of him, a hand on the knotted velour belt of the robe,

"I told you earlier that I'd show you what I'd got you."

Before he could reply, she undid the robe, the garment falling from her shoulders as his eyes widened, his brain immediately stalling on seeing the sight before him, barely registering words such as 'gossamer' and 'crimson'. He swallowed as he stood up, his mouth suddenly dry and he said, eventually managing to tear his eyes from his wife's body as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close,

"Oh Sam..." he nuzzled her neck, his mouth slowly reaching her collarbone. "Believe me when I say that that's a waste of money. You've never had to consciously seduce me."

She slipped an arm around his neck and kissed him, remarking fondly as he carefully laid her down on the bed, taking extra care because of her condition before lying next to her, "Well... it's a present for putting up with my mood swings lately."

He gently touched her cheek, gazing at her in concern as well as love. "Hey... that was because of all those hormones in your body. _I'd _go nuts if I had to go through half the things that you've had to go through... and that's not counting being part of SG-1, and then being in command of Atlantis for a year."

She smiled and then began to undress him. As he helped her by undressing himself, she asked, still smiling as she remembered the pictures from earlier and the things that they had done prior to and since marriage, "I can't believe we would have missed out on all of this."

He stopped what he was doing and looked at her, worried as he usually tended to be at any hints of her being sad at all. "Come on... we would have got here eventually. That camouflage team just beat us to it... and their reality wasn't all that different from ours." He began to remove the remaining items of her clothing as he sighed, looking thoughtful. "But we did get here... and we've got a growing family. We may be a little late by traditional standards, but hey... we're happy... and that's all that matters."

He smiled at her and she smiled back as she ran her fingers slowly down his hip. "We've been blessed... we've got a huge family. The kids have got lots of uncles and aunties, and they're going to have a lot of cousins if Cam and Vala continue at the rate they're going."

They laughed, and Daniel added as he played with Sam's hair, "Only SG-1 could do something so seemingly impossible."

She retorted, grinning as she remembered a TV show that they had started watching not long after they had got together, "_'Not impossible... just a bit unlikely'_." He grinned at her before they began to make love, an indescribable feeling of bliss blossoming inside of them.

0o0o0o0o0o0

_Last line is from Doctor Who – specifically the tenth Time Lord (also known as Ten... and ahem, Ten Inch...)_

_I really would have liked to have written more – it's been such a fun story to write... but I think there's a limit as to how much I could do and still be vaguely relevant to the synopsis. lol. Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, story favouriting/alerting, and C2 archiving. It's been great to have had and to continue to have so much support while writing this and the latest Jackson Junior, and various other one shots and whatnot. Thank you... and reviews are more than welcome as always._


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